Hermione's New Life
by Nynaeve80
Summary: PostWar Hermione is trying to start her new life and she gets a visit from an old friend. HGVK COMPLETE!
1. New Life

Hermione glanced around at the scene unfolding before her. She had just flooed to The Burrow, and it was as usual, a hotbed of flurried activity. From the looks, and sound of it, Fred and George had somehow managed to charm the pots and pans into clanging together anytime Ron tried to speak. Mrs. Weasley was nearly beside herself, taking turns yelling at Fred and George while trying to keep Ron from speaking again.

Growing up an only child, Hermione was used to calm, dignified dinners with only her parents in attendance. The Burrow was notorious for not only having rambunctious dinners, not to mention a houseful of people, few of whom could ever be termed 'dignified.'

Without realizing it, Hermione let out a rather undignified laugh of her own. She couldn't help it – just being at The Burrow made all her problems seem to melt away. Her muggle parents didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on in the wizarding world, and she had felt so alone the past few weeks. She loved her parents, and she knew her parents loved her, but she belonged in a different world than they did. Now that she was 20 years old, she felt like it was time to face the wizarding world on her own.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, running to give her a hug. She could always count on Harry to be happy to see her. Harry was in much the same boat as she was. Although he wasn't a Muggleborn, he was raised by muggles, and he had been a bit of an outsider in the wizarding world. Of course, his name was known by every wizard and witch in the world, so that only served to alienate him further in some aspects. She knew he felt alone sometimes, and she could sympathize with the feeling.

"Harry!" She screamed, hugging him back in return. She noticed the hubbub had died down considerably, and she turned to face everyone once Harry had released her. Instead of running to welcome her like she expected, they all just stared at her with mouths agape. She stood there doing her best not to fidget under their stares. She was mere seconds away from apparating back home when George finally spoke up.

"Hermione?" He asked hesitantly, almost as if she would disappear when he said her name.

"Yes, George, it's me. And don't even try to say you're Fred, I _know _you're George." She said, giving him her best smile. She couldn't figure out why everyone was acting so weird. It wasn't like they hadn't seen her hug Harry before. Naturally, she and Harry were close, but she and Ron were as well. She and Ron had dated briefly a few years ago, but they quickly realized they made better friends than lovers. She and Harry had never dated, though, and neither one of them ever felt anything more than platonic feelings for each other.

After another full second of staring, George finally broke into a smile. "Hermione! It's really you! Merlin, look at you! We almost-"

"Didn't recognize you." Fred finished, looking at his twin brother with an identical grin on his face. They were always finishing each other sentences, and they were forever causing trouble in the house. If they were quiet, then everyone knew something big was about to happen.

"Oh, well, it's still me, the good ol' bookworm." She replied, laughing a little uneasily. She was starting to feel very self-conscious now. The Burrow had been a place of refuge because she always felt so secure, so welcomed here, but now she just felt…alone again.

"You sure don't look like a bookworm to me!" George said as he continued grinning. Unfortunately, his comment sparked a little temper in Ron, who was known for his unpredictable temper, and he started to speak. Before she could move, Hermione was suddenly surrounded by banging pots and pans.

Mrs. Weasley's shrieking voice could be heard above all the ruckus, and the twins' intermittent pleas for help. After recovering her senses, Hermione quickly whipped out her wand, and muttered a spell to stop the pots and pans.

"I have never seen a more irresponsible…" Mrs. Weasley's voice faded away as the clanging pots and pans were charmed back into their original places by Hermione. She quickly gathered her wits, then turned around to give her a hug. "Thank you, Hermione, I'm so glad at least one civilized person decided to join us for the summer."

"Do you always have to make us look bad?" Fred whined, shooting Hermione a mock glare.

"No, Fred, you make yourself look bad. I just make you look worse." Hermione shot back, returning his mock glare with a smile.

As expected, her comment was meant with peals of laughter. Ron especially seemed to enjoy the comment. "Seriously, 'Mione, what happened to you?" George said, giving her the once-over yet again.

"Nothing happened to me, George. I've already told you." Hermione huffed, getting a little put out at the line of questioning.

"Yeah, well, 'Mione, you really do look, err, nice." Ron said, his face instantly blushing to the color of his hair.

Hermione looked down at herself, then looked at Harry, who was grinning like a fool. "I think they're trying to say that you look great. I saw you over the summer, so I wasn't surprised, but you _do _look a little different…in a good way." Harry added when he saw Hermione's face.

"Oh, well, thanks, I think." Hermione stammered, desperately wanting to get out from under the spotlight. Ginny, sensing her discomfort, waved Hermione towards the stairs.

"Follow me, Hermione, I'll show you to my room." Hermione hurriedly followed Ginny up the stairs, happy to be away from the stares for the moment.

"Wow, Harry, you didn't tell us Hermione got hot over the summer!" Fred exclaimed, earning a painful jab in the side from Ron.

"Um, well, it's kind of hard to think of Hermione in those terms. I think of her as a sister, so it didn't really cross my mind to tell you." Harry said, laughing at Ron, who was still glaring at Fred.

"Well, I don't care what you think about her new look, I suggest you boys quit trying to make her feel uncomfortable. I'm just so glad she's come here to stay with us, and I don't want you lot messing it up!" Mrs. Weasley said in a firm voice, keeping her hands on her hips in her typical stance.

The boys, not wanting to further enrage her, wisely decided to step outside for a quick Quidditch match. Ginny and Hermione, however, were upstairs getting reacquainted.

"What do you mean you're moving out on your own?" Ginny practically yelled. "I thought you were going to stay with us for a while."

"Ginny, I would love to, you know I would, but it's time for me to get my own place. Maybe you could move in with me?" She asked, anxiously waiting to hear what Ginny's answer would be.

"Really? I would love to! It would be great! We could…" Ginny's voice trailed off as her smile was replaced by a frown. "Oh, I can't!"

"Why not?" Hermione questioned, trying to keep the earnestness out of her voice.

"I already promised Mom I'd help her with Bill and Fleur's wedding. It's only a few months away, and everyone is pitching in to help. She would never forgive me if I moved out now." Ginny said, glum thinking about having to stay in The Burrow.

"Don't worry, Ginny. I'm sure that it won't be that bad. Besides, if I can't find a roommate, you can always move in after the wedding." She added, trying to add a hopeful note to her voice. Ginny didn't look convinced but let it drop anyway.

"So, are you going to tell me how you ended up looking so fabulous in just a few short months?" Ginny inquired, wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione laughed at Ginny's question. When Ginny was 10, she was so shy she barely talked. Now, she was not only outgoing, but downright nosy when she wanted to be. She also knew some outstanding hexes that even the twins were afraid of.

"Well, you know I went to Spain with my parents in May, and we ended up staying a little longer to see Greece and some parts of Italy. I guess the Mediterranean agreed with me." Hermione said, still feeling a little embarrassed about her appearance.

She knew she had changed a bit over the summer, but she didn't expect that anyone would really notice. Her once-bushy hair had finally tamed down a little, due to its length and a recently-learned taming spell. She had grown a little bit, even though she was still a relatively short 5'4". The warm Mediterranean sun had given her a nice healthy glow, and she had finally taken up jogging, albeit against her will.

Jane Granger, her mother, had gone to the doctor for her annual check-up, only to find out her cholesterol was high. The next thing Hermione knew, they were traipsing around Southern Europe, eating organic food, and jogging every morning. While Hermione was more than happy to give up the disgusting organic food, she realized she actually enjoyed jogging. It gave her time to get her thoughts in order, as well as plan the rest of her day.

"Well, you could certainly say that!" Ginny exclaimed, dragging Hermione over to her bed. "So, any boys in particular you are trying to impress?"

Hermione again laughed at the question. "No way, Ginny. Don't even think of trying to set me up with anyone."

"What about Ron?" Ginny pressed, hoping for a reaction.

"Merlin, no! He and Harry have been my best friends in the whole world, but I don't feel that way about them, you know that."

"You know Ron still fancies you." Ginny said bluntly.

"That may be, but I only like him as a friend."

"So you're serious about moving out on your own? Does this mean you're going to start having a little fun now?" She couldn't help but tease Hermione.

"Very funny! I'll have you know that I plan on having a _lot _of fun." Hermione shot back, hoping Ginny wouldn't want specifics. No such luck.

"Oh yeah? Doing what?"

"I've been thinking about getting myself a boyfriend on my own." Hermione lied. She had absolutely no intention whatsoever of getting a boyfriend, but she knew that would satisfy her friend's curiosity for the moment.

"Excellent! You need to date more!" Ginny declared, then launched into a thirty-minute explanation of which clubs to visit, which ones to ignore, and a few good pick-up lines. Hermione was never so relieved for dinner.

As usual, the dinner at The Burrow was anything but ordinary. While there wasn't a full-blown food fight, thank goodness, only Hermione, Harry, George, and Mrs. Weasley managed to escape unscathed. Hermione couldn't remember when she had had so much fun. Now that the war was over, everyone was so relaxed and nearly carefree. The Weasleys had even finally come to terms with Percy's betrayal, even though his name still wasn't spoken in the house.

After dinner, they all moved into the sitting room adjoining the kitchen for some wizards' chess and exploding snap. Everything was going along so well until…

"Hermione, dear, how long are we getting to keep you this time?" Arthur Weasley piped up, sending her a brilliant smile. She was so glad to see that smile after 5 long years of heartache and sorrow.

"Well, I'm actually going to be hunting for a flat, starting tomorrow, so I don't know how long I'll be here." Hermione said, hoping her voice sounded firm. She really hadn't planned on telling everyone what she was doing until it was already underway. Mrs. Weasley was bound to be against the idea, and she could be quite the formidable opponent when she wanted to be.

"Oh dear, why don't you stay with us? There's no need to be hunting for a flat just yet. You can stay with us until you've gotten a job and settled on your feet." Mrs. Weasley interjected.

"Actually, Mrs. Weasley, I got a job last week. I'm working with the International Quidditch League as a mediwitch." Hermione said, waiting for the inevitable outburst.

"What?" exclaimed George.

"Seriously?" Ron asked.

"That's awesome!" Harry shouted over the others. Hermione purposefully ignored the look Ginny shot her since she hadn't told her beforehand.

"So, are you assigned to one team?" Ron asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"No, it's actually on a rotation basis at first, so I can live in London until I get a permanent placement. They're really short-handed right now with the fallout from war, so I was able to get fast-tracked based on my test scores."

"Maybe you'll be with the Chudley Cannons!" Ron said, giving Hermione a wink.

"Maybe, Ron." Hermione said, trying to ignore the wink. The last thing she needed was Ron falling for her again. "I just need to find a good flat mate, and then I'll be out of your hair."

Before Mrs. Weasley could protest again, Harry cut in. "I'll be your flat mate, 'Mione."

Hermione glanced in shock at Harry, and noticed everyone else had as well. "Oh Merlin, we're just friends!" Harry shouted exasperatedly. "I need a roommate, too, and since I'm playing for the League now, you could try out some healing charms on me!" He nudged Hemione with his elbow.

"Well, that's…" Hermione hesitated. She wouldn't mind living with Harry, especially since he was a lot neater than Ron. He was making plenty of money playing Quidditch, so paying the rent wouldn't be a problem. She didn't have any romantic feelings for him, so that wasn't an obstacle. Why was she hesitating again? "Terrific! I would love to share a flat with you!"

Harry jumped up and hugged Hermione, not noticing Ron's or Ginny's faces as they fell.


	2. Night Life

"Remind me again why I decided to live with you?" Hermione asked Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"Because you love me?" Harry said, ducking his head under her glare. He didn't mean to blow up the couch, it just kind of happened. He knew he shouldn't have let the twins come over, but he was bored.

Hermione sighed. "Yes, but I'm beginning to reassess my judgment."

Harry gave her another hopeful smile before she started laughing. He couldn't get over the changes in Hermione. Obviously, the physical changes were what people noticed first, but it was a lot more than that. She had grown into a beautiful woman, and he could see why Ron was infatuated with her. But what was surprising to him was the emotional changes in her. She was still a bookworm, and still a bit of a know-it-all, but she had finally…relaxed. She was letting herself have fun for the first time, and Harry found they had grown closer than ever.

They had grown so close in fact, that Harry had to give an interview with Luna Lovegood just to dispel rumors (put forth by none other than Rita Skeeter) that he and Hermione were dating. While he was proud to be her best friend, he knew there could never be anything between them. He and Ginny had been dating for a while, and he was madly in love with her. He hoped within the next year or so they could get married. Ginny hadn't been happy that he was living with Hermione at first, but he felt like she was finally coming around. It had been two months, and things were going great so far…except for the slightly smoldering couch.

Regardless, the modest two-bedroom flat was perfect for Harry and Hermione. It had a reasonable rent, which allowed both of them to save some money. Harry suspected the rent was reduced because of their somewhat _colorful _past (they were still considered something of celebrities), but he never brought it up with her. He knew she wanted to have a new life, and the last thing she needed was being reminded of her part in the Golden Trio with him and Ron.

"Who are you taking to the banquet?" Harry asked suddenly. The IQL held an annual banquet for all members, including the players, coaches, and even mediwitches. Even though attendance wasn't exactly required, it was highly encouraged by all the top-ranking officials.

"I don't think I'm taking anyone. I was planning on just showing up for a while, mingling to show I was there, then heading back here." Hermione said, casting a spell to repair the couch. "I assume you are taking Ginny."

It was a statement, not a question, but Harry nodded anyway. "Yes, I am. I heard that Ron was still available." He said casually.

"Don't be so obvious, Harry." Hermione scolded, shooting him a withering look. "I don't like Ron in that way, and inviting him to the banquet would only encourage him. He needs to move on, the sooner the better."

Harry leaned forward on his knees before saying gently, "Do you really mean that, Hermione? How would you feel if Ron suddenly started dating Lavender Brown again?" He hoped he wasn't pressing his luck by questioning her this way, but he wanted to be sure. He and Ginny thought she might give Ron a chance again, but it didn't appear to be in the cards. Still, he wanted to know if maybe there was a chance…any chance at all…

"I would be happy for him. I care a lot about Ron, and I want him to be happy." Hermione said earnestly, not taking her eyes away from Harry's. "I just want him to be happy with someone _else." _

"I understand, 'Moine." Harry said as he sighed. He would have to pass along the information to Ginny, who had been badgering him for weeks to talk to her about Ron. He knew she would be slightly disappointed. She had hoped to have Hermione as a sister-in-law as well as a friend.

"So, where's your next assignment?" He asked, hoping to change the subject to a more pleasant one.

"It's actually with the Vrasta Vultures, but I don't start until the week after the banquet." Hermione answered, rising up from her chair. "What do you want for dinner?" She asked, making her way to the kitchen.

"Well, how about you come out with me and Ginny?" He knew she hated being the third wheel, but he had already taken care of that problem. "Neville, Parvati, Lavender, and Dean will be there, too."

"And I suppose Ron will be there as well?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at Harry's inept attempt to conceal the truth.

_Crap! _"Well, 'Moine, he is, but you don't have to spend time with him alone. Please come, everyone's wanting to see you!" He knew part of the reason everyone wanted to see her was the amazing 'transformation' that had taken place over the past summer. The Daily Prophet ran stories on Hermione and Harry at least once a week, some juicier than others. Even though Hermione wasn't exactly a party girl, it seemed her picture was everywhere. And, of course, there were still those skeptics who thought she was Harry's mistress, regardless of what they said.

"Fine, but if he hits on me, I'll hex you into oblivion right after I punch him in the nose!" With that, she turned to head towards her bedroom.

Harry laughed to himself. Apparently, not _everything _about Hermione had changed.


	3. Ghost from the Past

Later that evening, Harry watched the eyes of the young men as Hermione entered the club. It was a wizards club, so she was going to be recognizable. He almost regretted asking her to come when he saw some of the leers she was receiving. Of course, she was completely oblivious to the attention she was garnering, and headed over to their table without giving anyone a second glance.

"Hey, Hermione! How are you?" Dean Thomas yelled, rushing over to greet her. Dean was supposed to be dating Parvati, but Harry noticed his hands were lingering on Hermione a little too long for just a _friendly _hug. Parvati apparently noticed it to, because her greeting to Hermione was slightly less friendly.

After Hermione had greeted the others, Parvati immediately dragged Dean to the dance floor while Neville and Lavender bombarded her with questions.

"So, you're a mediwitch for the IQL? But you don't even like Quidditch, do you?" Lavender asked, slightly confused at Hermione's profession of choice.

Hermione, to her credit, only laughed. "No, actually, I'm not, but since it's so popular, I figured it's great job security!" Harry loved seeing Hermione laugh. it had been so long since she looked this happy, he almost wondered if there was a romantic reason behind it.

"Ginny," Harry whispered to the beautiful woman to his right, "is Hermione seeing anyone?"

Ginny smiled, then responded, "No, darling, she's not. Why, are you looking?"

Harry turned his head sharply towards her before he caught her teasing smile. He was still worried about how Ginny was taking the arrangement, and he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. "No! I just meant she looks really happy, and I figured it might have to do with a romance."

"Well, she hasn't said anything to me, but something tells me Dean is definitely interested." Ginny said, stifling a giggle. Parvati was yelling at poor Dean on the other side of the club, and he kept shooting furtive glances in Hermione's direction. "He'll be lucky to make it out alive."

He chuckled as he surveyed the room. For a Friday night, the club was kind of light; nonetheless, it was still crowded, and they had been lucky to find a table. He figured the Quidditch match tonight was the reason it was lighter. Unless he was mistaken, Vrasta was playing Berlin in an exhibition match. Berlin's stadium had been burnt down, and they had refused to play in Vrasta, claiming it was a deranged Bulgarian fan who set the fire. Although there was no proof, Vrasta's coach graciously accepted the offer to play the game in a neutral location.

As if his thoughts had summoned them, the doors opened to reveal a very enthusiastic Vrasta fan who declared to everyone in the club that his team had won. While a round of cheers went throughout the club, Harry saw Hermione roll her eyes. "I swear, that's all men think about around here – Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch."

"That's not true, Hermione." Harry said, never missing a chance to tease her a little bit. "We like looking at pretty women, too." He glanced over at Ginny to catch her eye, then winked.

"Oh Merlin's beard, Harry, you're getting more like Sirius everyday!" Hermione exclaimed, causing he and Ginny to laugh.

"Oh, stuff it, 'Mione." Ginny teased. "You've got nearly every guy in here trying to dance with you, so you _know _Quidditch isn't on their minds right now." Ginny was rewarded with a blushing smile from Hermione.

"That's not true, Ginny," Hermione argued, even though Harry knew it was only a _slight _exaggeration on Ginny's part. "Besides, I think they are more interested in using me to get the players' autographs, or maybe even Harry's." She shot Harry a sickeningly sweet smile, and he just stuck his tongue out in reply.

"I guess Ron's at the Quidditch match, huh?" Lavender asked, just a little too nonchalantly. Tonight was going so splendidly, he had almost forgotten that Ron had yet to show up. Harry knew she fancied Ron, but Ron, being the blind git that he was sometimes, had failed to notice. In his defense, he was an Auror now, so his mind was mostly focused on his work. Of course, the workload for Aurors wasn't what it used to be since the war was over. He just hoped Ron would wake up and smell the coffee before it was too late.

"Yeah, I'm sure he was. Since it's over, I bet he'll be here soon." Harry reassured her, silently thankful he hadn't shown up yet. It seemed like nearly every guy in the club had asked Hermione to dance. She had politely refused most of them, only dancing with a few guys, but he knew Ron would be insane with jealously if he saw how many guys had approached her.

"Hermione?" came a strange voice from behind their table. They all turned around to see who the mystery voice belonged to, and one by one, all of their mouths dropped open.


	4. The Reunion

She couldn't believe it was actually Viktor Krum in front of her. She knew Vrasta was playing tonight, but she never dreamed in a million years that she would run into him here. She was still debating on whether or not to take the Vrasta position that had been offered. Although she wasn't a big fan of Quidditch, she had always kept up on his career over the years. The war had separated them, but she figured he probably had forgotten about her anyway.

Without thinking, she launched herself into his arms, so excited to see him. She felt his arms sneak around her waist and press her closer. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, and she was suddenly aware at how close they were. She had meant it to be a friendly hug, but it had somehow managed to become something…more.

Grabbing a hold of her senses, she pulled back from the hug. She tried to ignore the fact that she did so reluctantly. Viktor, however, still held her hands as he perused her figure. She knew she should have stopped him, but instead she got caught up doing the same thing to him. She, of course, had seen several pictures of him in the news, but this was altogether different. Viktor Krum in the newspaper was quite a handsome man. Viktor Krum in person was a one-of-a-kind, extremely delectable specimen. He was nearly a foot taller than her, long and lean from years of playing Seeker. His dark brown hair was cut short, and his chocolate-colored eyes were twinkling with excitement.

"What are you doing here?" She blurted out, much to her dismay. Instead of looking offended, Viktor simply smiled. Gods, how she had missed that smile! He had worn almost a permanent scowl on his face when she first met him, but when they were together in her fourth year, she would sometimes get one of those special smiles all for her.

"I play Quidditch. You haff heard of it, yes?" He teased, keeping the smile on his face.

"Yes, I have, Mr. Krum." Hermione said, giving him a playful punch on the arm. Was she flirting with Viktor thirty seconds after she had seen him? Merlin's beard, Ginny was rubbing off on her! "As a matter of fact, I work for the International Quidditch League."

She enjoyed watching the surprise flicker across his face. He knew she wasn't a big fan of Quidditch, and it was actually one of the reasons he had asked her out to begin with. He was permanently hassled by the flock of giggling girls, while she had been most unimpressed by his Quidditch skills. She did, however, later become impressed with other, more important skills that he possessed.

"Really? Don't tell me you are the new Chaser for the Chudley Cannons?" He asked in the same teasing tone.

"You've been here two minutes, Viktor, and you're already irritating me." Hermione huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in mock anger.

"Oh, well, if I haff offended you, perhaps I should leaff?" He inquired, taking a step away.

He knew she wanted him to stay. He could see it in her eyes, and it thrilled him to no end. He knew it shouldn't matter since she was probably attached, but he did manage to notice she wore no rings on either hand. At least she wasn't married…

"No, you know I was joking!" Hermione exclaimed, unfolding her arms to take his hand. "Come meet the lot of us over here."

Viktor dutifully followed as she dragged him around to the front of the table where everyone was seated. While Hermione made the introductions, he noticed she didn't let go of his hand. He wasn't about to let go of her hand, and he hoped she was enjoying it as much as he was.

As she went around the table introducing her friends, his gaze finally fell on Harry Potter. He had known him from the time of the Triwizard Tournament, and even though Harry had certainly grown up since then, there was no mistaking the unruly black hair and the scar on his forehead. He looked to be nearly as tall as Viktor was, and his arm was draped casually over the red-head next to him. Hermione introduced her as Ginny, and he immediately remembered she was Ron Weasley's younger sister. Much to his relief, Ron wasn't present at the table.

After several pleas from the group, Viktor sat down and joined them at the table. He was pleased to note that Hermione had to squeeze up against him so they could all fit. He silently reminded himself to thank Nikolai for convincing him to go out tonight.

"So, Viktor, still playing for Vrasta I suppose?" Harry asked.

"Yes, in my sixth year now. I heard you vere playing for Chudley. We may end up playing each other in the finals this year. Chudley is supposed to haff an outstanding team, thanks to you." Viktor responded, watching as Harry blushed at his compliment.

"Um, thanks, Viktor. That means a lot, uh, coming from you." Harry stammered, blushing even harder.

Viktor felt Hermione give his hand a slight squeeze, and his heart soared. Turning to face her, he asked, "So, vhat is your job with International Quidditch League?"

"Well, I'm a mediwitch for the league, and I'm currently working with the Manchester team." Hermione responded, turning her head to smile at him. Every thought in Viktor's head immediately left when he saw that smile. He was absolutely mesmerized by her just 5 minutes after seeing her again. He was in trouble.

Harry and Ginny had exchanged glances when they saw Viktor and Hermione hug. They knew Hermione had briefly dated Viktor in her fourth and fifth year, but they had understandably grown apart with the war. They also knew that Viktor seemed absolutely entranced by Hermione. When she had hugged him, he looked like he was in heaven. Not to mention, he had actually started saying her name right. It only took 7 years…better late than never.

"Hermione, didn't you say you were going to be rotating to Vrasta soon?" Harry inquired, not bothering to be less-than-obvious.

She looked like she wanted to strangle Harry, but Viktor saved the day. "Really, Hermione? When do you start?" Viktor asked, replacing his usual scowl with a look reminiscent of a kid on Christmas morning.

"Um, yeah, I actually start the week after the banquet." Hermione said nervously, fidgeting with her drink.

"Are you going to banquet, Viktor?" Harry asked casually, pointedly ignoring the glare from Hermione. He saw from the way they were looking at each other that the chemistry was still there. Knowing them, it would take months to get the ball rolling. He was just helping them out…really, Hermione should be thanking him.

"Vell, it appears I haff to go. Coach insists all players must go, so I vill at least make an appearance." Viktor replied, casting a nervous glance at Hermione.

"Great!" Harry said enthusiastically. Now for phase one… "Ginny and I will be attending together, of course, and then Hermione is going stag, and I think Dean and Parvati are going, too." He watched as Viktor's eyes widen when he mentioned Hermione attending alone. No doubt he assumed she had a boyfriend.

"You are not going vith boyfriend, Hermione?" Viktor asked, giving Hermione a surprised look.

"No, actually I'm not dating anyone right now." Hermione answered, her cheeks turning pink at her admission. Harry was thrilled – this was going better than he had hoped.

"I am single as vell, so why don't we go together?" Viktor inquired. Harry was just about to celebrate when he added, "As friends."

Hermione seemed relieved instead of upset, and slowly nodded her acceptance. "Yes, I'd love to go with you. We can catch up on what we've missed the past few years."

"I vould loff that." Viktor said softly, gazing at Hermione. Ginny elbowed Harry in the side and whispered for him to quit staring. He couldn't help it – his bookworm of a best friend was finally starting to enjoy herself. Viktor's voice interrupted his musings. "I can introduce you to the team. I'm sure they vill be thrilled to meet you. Our mediwitch is not very good, and I'm sure you are the best."

If Hermione was blushing earlier, her face was pretty much on fire now. Harry asked Ginny to dance, then shot a not-so-subtle look at Luna to leave the table. He wanted to give them a little privacy to see how things progressed. Unfortunately…

"Hey, there, mates! How's everyone doing tonight?" A voice from behind Harry sounded. Without turning around, he knew who it was…Ron. The one person who was capable of ruining Hermione and Viktor's evening had suddenly decided to show up at the worst possible moment. _Bloody hell! _

"Ron Veasley?" Viktor said, rising to extend his hand towards Ron. Harry noticed Ron's face went pale at the sight of Viktor. He stood there staring for a few seconds before returning the handshake roughly.

"What brings you here, Mr. Krum? I thought you'd be back in your hotel room by now." Ron said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.


	5. Dancing Around

Hermione wanted to crawl through a hole in the floor and die. Not only had Harry been blatantly obvious about trying to force her on Viktor, but now Ron had shown up and was being his usual immature self around Viktor. If she didn't love her best friends so much, she would have boxed their ears right then. Instead, she decided to play referee as best as she could.

"Ve von tonight, and a few of my teammates decided to visit this new club. I vas about to leave, then I ran into Hermione." Viktor glanced down at her briefly before returning his gaze to Ron. They were looking at each other like they wanted to strangle the other one. Ron was taller by an inch or two, but he was nowhere near as muscular as Viktor. Hermione hoped Ron had the sense not to start a fist fight with him.

"Ah, Hermione, I see you're fraternizing with the enemy." Ron said, sending her an evil smile. It was the same thing he had accused her of doing 7 years ago. She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued, "You're working with Manchester now. I wonder what they would say if they saw you with a Vrasta player a week before the big match."

She really wanted to wipe that stupid little smirk off Ron's face, but she could feel Viktor tense beside her. This was not going well. Ron had been here 2 minutes, and he was already causing problems. She looked desperately at Harry, who gratefully stepped in.

"Hey, Ron, Dean's over there at the bar. He said he was buying drinks tonight. Why don't we head over there and start running up a tab?"

Thankfully, Ron turned his attention to Harry and headed off in the direction of Dean. Hermione turned to face Viktor, "I'm so sorry about Ron. He's not usually so…hostile. He's just jealous of you."

Viktor's face softened at her words. She could tell her was thinking something, and she very much wanted to ask him, but she held back. They hadn't seen each other in years, and she certainly didn't have a right to ask his innermost thoughts. "I know, Hermione, I think maybe he still fancies you."

"Maybe," Hermione admitted, "but I don't fancy him, Viktor." She was quiet for a moment, then decided to change the subject. "By the way, you've said my name perfect tonight!"

"Practice makes perfect, Hermione." Viktor said, giving her another one of his rare smiles. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was looking forward to attending the banquet with Viktor. Even if they were just friends, she couldn't deny the fact that she loved being around him. Unlike Ron, he was so mature, so caring, so…_masculine. _

Before she let her thoughts take her to places she shouldn't go, she heard Viktor ask, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Viktor knew he probably shouldn't ask, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to spend some time with Hermione. She said she would go to the banquet with him _as friends, _so maybe she would spend the day with him _as friends _as well. He was quickly coming to the realization that he wanted to be more than friends, but he was a patient man. He had waited 7 years for her, he could wait a few more weeks if necessary.

"Well, I was planning on doing a little grocery shopping, then maybe do some sight-seeing." Hermione answered, squirming a little in her seat.

"Perhaps I could go with you?" He asked shyly. "I don't know much about London, and I vould very much like to spend time vith you."

He watched her face anxiously, unable to distinguish if she was happy or upset about his question. When her face finally broke into a smile, he released a long, slow breath. "I'd love that, Viktor."

As they made plans for the following day, Viktor could feel Ron's eyes on him. Even though Ron was talking to Lavender at the bar, he kept turning his attention back to him and Hermione.

When he first saw Ron tonight, Viktor had promised himself he wouldn't cause a scene or embarrass Hermione. He didn't want to stoop to Ron's level, but something about him made Viktor want to pummel his face in.

"Viktor? Are you okay?" Hermione asked, leaning forward concernedly.

"Yes, I just…" he felt his voice trail off. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he wasn't sure she would like it. What if she told him no? What if she laughed? He hated himself for feeling like a teenager again, but he was still every bit as nervous as he was when he asked her to the Yule Ball.

"Hermione," he said suddenly, causing her to start at the sound of her name, "vould you care to dance?" He asked, still feeling slightly foolish at his nervousness.

"I would love to!" She responded happily, pushing him out of the booth towards the dance floor. Ignoring Ron's glare, Viktor led her to the dance floor where several other couples were already dancing.

The song was a fast one, so the dancing was more casual. He loved seeing Hermione let loose – she was swaying and dancing to the music, as carefree as he had ever seen her. Just when things were going well, Dean showed up halfway through the second song.

"May I cut in?" He inquired, bowing slightly to Hermione. Viktor didn't really want to give her up, but he knew Dean had to be better than Ron. After a quick glance at Hermione, she nodded, and he moved over to the bar where Harry was.

"She's grown up, hasn't she?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow at Viktor.

"Yes, she has." Viktor said, not taking his eyes away from her. "It appears I am not only one vho noticed." Dean had wrapped his arms around her and was whispering something in Hermione's ear. Viktor felt his stomach roil at the sight of her in another's arms. She wasn't his, he had no claim to her, but it just felt wrong to see her with someone else.

He was thrilled when he saw Hermione shake her head, then pull back from Dean. She gave Dean a kind smile, and headed over to him at the bar.


	6. Interruptions

Hermione was ecstatic to be away from Dean. He was a nice enough bloke to chat with once in a while, but she had no interest in getting involved with him. She couldn't believe he actually had the nerve to make a move on her with Parvati there! Even if she _was _interested in Dean, she wouldn't have given him the time of day after the little stunt he pulled. She remembered the little mantra her mum had told her ages ago - _If he cheats with you, he'll cheat _on _you. _

She made her way over to Viktor at the bar, and her breath caught in her throat. _Merlin, he is so handsome. _She silently berated herself for thinking of him that way. They hadn't spoken in years, and even though he denied dating anyone, she was pretty certain he had his pick of available women around the world. She may have grown up a bit since she last saw him, but there was no way she could compete with the onslaught of women throwing themselves at him everyday.

As she approached Viktor, she saw him give her a knowing smile, and she smiled shyly in return. When he smiled at her like that, she felt like they were in their own little world, both knowing a secret that no one else possessed. It was amazing that she felt the same way about his smile as she did years ago. They had both undoubtedly changed, but she still felt a connection with him that she had never shared with anyone else. Maybe it was because-

"Hermione?" Viktor asked, touching her arm to get her attention. She jumped at the sudden jolt of electricity that shot through her arm at Viktor's touch. His large hands, rough and strong from years of Quidditch, felt wonderful against her own smooth skin. Before she could stop herself or respond to Viktor, she started thinking about how wonderful his hands would feel, touching her face, her legs, her…_Stop! _

"How was your dance with…Dean, is it? He seemed a little upset." He asked, looking at her curiously. He was no doubt trying to figure out why she was acting so strange. He probably wasn't the least bit affected by seeing her, but she felt like she'd been blindsided, and she hadn't gotten her wits about her yet. This was exactly why she thought about turning down the Vrasta position. If she couldn't handle being out with Viktor in a public bar, then how was she supposed to handle being alone with him in a locker room? Or worse yet, a hotel room?

"Oh, it was fine. Dean's a little confused, I think, but he'll be alright."

"Did he hit on you again, 'Mione?" Harry asked, peeking around from the other side of Viktor.

"Not that it really matters, Harry, but yes, he did." She said as she sighed, thinking of how Parvati must feel. She was pretty sure Dean had asked out other girls, too, and she couldn't figure out why Parvati didn't just dump him. She was certainly pretty enough to get someone else. No one, not even Parvati, deserved to be treated that way.

"He hit on you?" Viktor questioned, his voice much sharper than before.

Hermione turned to look at him with bewilderment. "It's no big deal, Viktor. He's a bit of a prat sometimes, but he's not too bad."

"Vot did you tell him?" He pressed, leaning towards her slightly. She couldn't tell if the gesture was meant to be threatening or comforting, but it made her nervous regardless.

"I told him what I always tell him. Go back to Parvati, I'm not interested." She said matter-of-factly, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she did. With Viktor that close to her, she could barely remember her own name, much less a meaningless conversation she had ten minutes ago.

"Harry, I think I'm going to head home now. I'm getting up early tomorrow, so I want to get a good night's rest." She turned to Viktor to confirm their plans, but he spoke before she had the chance.

"I vill escort you home, Hermione." Viktor said, bowing slightly to her while offering her his arm. She knew she was blushing, but she hoped the dimness of the club would cover her. When she linked her arm through his, she felt the same jolt of electricity again…tomorrow was going to be a _long_ day.

Viktor's POV

Viktor felt like jumping for joy when Hermione let him escort her home. He was hoping she didn't ask Harry, even though she had told him they were living together. He didn't quite understand why, but she made it clear they weren't romantically involved. He was secretly relieved because he wasn't so sure he had a chance against The-Boy-Who-Lived.

He led her outside, then held onto her as they apparated to her flat. He couldn't help but smile when she placed her arm around his waist. She seemed so small and fragile compared to him, even though he knew she was far from it. Well, she _was _small, but she was far from fragile. He knew she had been through so much during the war, more than anyone knew, including him. She could probably out-hex him blindfolded, but he was still determined to protect her, no matter what the cost to himself.

He looked around the flat, taking in the bookcases filled to the brim with various books (no doubt all Hermione's) along with the homey kitchen. He could easily imagine seeing Hermione there in a little apron, baking cookies, waiting for him to come home from Quidditch practice…

"Um, Viktor?" Hermione asked, interrupting his lovely dream. He looked down to see her blush as she attempted to pull away. He realized he had yet to remove his arm from her waist, and he quickly released her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I…" He stopped as she laughed his apology off. He could listen to her laugh for hours. It was so beautiful, like music to his ears. He suddenly found it difficult to believe he had lived years without hearing it.

"It's no problem. It's not everyday I get to apparate into my living room with a handsome man on my arm." She seemed to realize what she said afterwards, and he noticed her flush as she turned away from him.

He knew he should probably change the subject, but her comment left him intrigued. She thought he was _handsome_? His heart leaped for joy at the thought. Maybe he would have a chance after all.

"I am glad to hear that." Viktor said as he moved a little closer to her. He could hear her suck in her breath as he placed a hand softly on her cheek. "It makes me feel special."

"You _are _special to me, Viktor, you know that." She said, closing her eyes as she leaned into his hand. His heart was beating so rapidly he was surprised he could still breathe. He leaned in a little closer, waiting for her to pull away. When she didn't, he started to lean in for a kiss, but a familiar 'pop' in the hallway had him backing away.

"Hermione? Where are you? Harry said that you were…" Ron's voice trailed off as he walked into the kitchen. Even though he had already moved away from Hermione before Ron entered, he still looked at Viktor as if he had been snogging Hermione senseless against her will.

"Hello, Ron." Viktor said, straightening up to his full height. He purposefully kept his voice cold and his back stiff. If Ron wanted a fight, Viktor was more than happy to give him one. He was _not _going to lose Hermione again.


	7. A New Beginning

Hermione looked between Ron and Viktor, both men glaring at each other like each had done something wrong. They reminded her of an old muggle Western movie she had seen with her parents. She almost mentioned it to them before she realized they were both purebloods – they would have no idea what she was talking about. It would have been funny if the situation in front of her wasn't so serious.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice calm. She really didn't want him here, especially since she had been fairly certain Viktor was about to kiss her. Although she wasn't quite sure how she felt about Viktor, she knew she wouldn't be able to figure it out with Ron breathing down their necks.

"Harry said you went home, so I thought I would check on you." Ron said, not taking his eyes off Viktor. "I wanted to be sure you weren't followed home by any strangers."

Viktor took a small step forward, but Hermione put her hand on his arm to stop him. He glanced down at her, his scowl turning into a small smile. "As you can see, _Ronald, _I'm fine. I really appreciate your concern, but I think I'm safe and sound, so you can go home now."

Ron didn't respond to her comments, he just stood there glaring at Viktor. It was as if he thought if he stared hard enough, Viktor would disappear. For his part, Viktor simply stared back with a hint of a smirk on his face. Hermione knew he was seething inside, but he was holding it in rather well. Unlike Ron, Viktor seemed to be able to control his temper for the moment.

"Fine," Ron responded, finally moving his eyes away from Viktor to stare at Hermione. She could see the anger in his eyes, along with some other unknown emotion. She hated doing this to Ron, but he didn't seem to be able to take a hint. "May I speak to you for a moment _alone_?" The special emphasis he placed on the final word wasn't lost on Hermione.

Viktor looked at her with worry etched in his face, but Hermione gave him a reassuring smile. Ron could be an annoying prat sometimes, but he had been one of her best friends in school. Even though they weren't as close now, she still trusted him enough to know he wouldn't do anything stupid….especially not since Viktor was going to be thirty feet away.

Viktor stayed behind in the kitchen while Ron and Hermione moved to the living room, just out of earshot. As soon as she sat down on the couch, Ron turned on her. "What is he doing here? Don't tell me you are honestly thinking of-"

"What I'm thinking of is none of your business, Ron." Hermione shot back. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but my personal life is not your concern." She was practically hissing now, but he was starting to get under her skin. He was acting like her father for crying out loud!

"And furthermore," she continued before he could respond, "Viktor and I are just friends."

"Is that so?" Ron said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then why is he in your apartment?"

"In case you haven't noticed, _you _are in my apartment, too. There's nothing wrong with a _friend _being in my apartment." She had risen from the couch now, and she was only standing a few feet away from Ron. She had hoped he would take the hint to leave, but it didn't seem to be getting through.

Instead of waiting for him to respond, she moved to go past him on his left. He grabbed her right wrist, applying enough pressure to force her to twist around to face him. Whatever he was going to say was suddenly cut off by a strong pair of arms who pushed Ron to the couch.

"Do not put your hands on her." Viktor said, towering over Ron as he laid on the couch. His voice was so low and threatening, it sent shivers down Hermione's spine. It seemed the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped ten degrees.

Ron's face went from shocked to angry in under a second. He leapt up from the couch, wand in hand. Luckily, Hermione, who had been bumped out of harm's way by Viktor, was faster. Before either man could move, Hermione had put a full body bind on Ron. She knew Viktor wouldn't do anything unless Ron did, so she felt safe leaving him to his own defenses.

"Ron, please leave. I think you've done enough damage tonight." Hermione said quietly.

"Me?" Ron asked incredulously. "It was _him, _not-"

"Ron!" Hermione snapped, raising her voice considerably. She was tired, and the last thing she needed was Ron and Viktor getting into a fight. She had already dealt with a blown-up couch today, and she didn't fancy having to clean up whatever damage they would do. It was bound to make the couch look like child's play.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow." Ron said threateningly. She released the body bind, and he gave one last warning glance to Viktor before apparating into thin air.

Hermione let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when Ron left. Crisis averted…for now. She turned to Viktor. "Thank you," she said simply, resisting the urge to throw herself in his arms. Ron was hardly ever violent, and he had never grabbed her like that before. It didn't hurt, and probably wouldn't leave a bruise, but he still surprised her with his roughness. She had a feeling Ron had been drinking again.

"Did he hurt you?" Viktor asked, rubbing her wrist with his thumb. He was so gentle, she felt like she as falling under some sort of spell with him. His deep brown eyes were so filled with concern, Hermione felt her heart skip a beat. She had always known he cared for her, but seeing it after all these years did something for her soul that she couldn't explain.

"No, I'm fine, thanks to you." She said, blushing again. She felt like she had blushed more in the past 5 hours than she had in the previous year. Being around Viktor made her feel 15 years old again. He didn't seem to be affected nearly as badly as she was, but she did think he seemed at least a little nervous. Maybe there was a chance after all…

"I am sorry to lose my temper." Viktor said, a grim look on his face.

Hermione took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. He looked up slowly, almost as if he were dreading to see her face. When she smiled up at him, he blinked warily at her. "It's okay, Viktor. You were only trying to protect me, and I appreciate it."

He nodded slowly, but still didn't look happy with himself. Hoping to change the subject, she asked, "What are the plans for tomorrow?" 

As they began discussing their plans to meet the following day, she found that his demeanor changed. Instead of appearing upset, he became more and more open, even laughing at how her fear of heights kept her off a broom. She normally hated for people to laugh at her, but Viktor's teasing didn't bother her in the least. She didn't really understand why, but it made him all the more endearing.

"Vell, I vill let you sleep now, Hermione." He said, hesitating on her name again. He was pronouncing it so much better than he had before, but he seemed to be getting a little nervous again. His accent tended to get stronger when he was anxious or upset. Just another little quirk of his that she had learned to appreciate.

"Good night, Viktor." Hermione said, leaning up to give him a hug. She purposefully pulled herself back a little. It wouldn't be a good idea to have a repeat performance of their hug in the club when they were alone in her apartment.

His arms encircled her waist, and she almost reconsidered throwing herself at him. She had read a few of her mum's muggle romance novels last year, and they were always talking about the 'strong but soft' touch of a handsome man that made the women weak in the knees. She had thought it rubbish at the time, but Viktor was making her have serious doubts.

"Good night, Hermione. Until tomorrow." With that, he leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her cheek. She knew it was probably just a friendly kiss, but it didn't stop her heart from racing as his lips lingered a hair longer than normal. Before she could gather her wits, he had apparated out of her living room.

Oh, bugger, she was in trouble.

The next morning, Hermione woke early to get ready. They were meeting at the entrance to his hotel at 9:30. He had to eat breakfast with his team, so it gave her a little extra time to eat and get dressed. She felt a little silly worrying about what she was wearing, but she couldn't help it. Her cheek was still burning from the kiss he had given her last night, and she was pretty sure her lips would have been, too, if Ron hadn't shown up.

_Why am I feeling this way? _She rarely acted like a little schoolgirl around guys, and she had pretty much avoided dating the last year or so. The war had taken up so much of her time and energy that she hadn't really had time for herself. All she had wanted to do was take some time to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Her school years were filled with adventure and danger, and she needed a break…Now that she had had a break, she was starting to get antsy. She felt like she was ready to try out new things, even though she hadn't decided exactly what she would be trying just yet. Viktor certainly never entered her mind when she was planning what new 'things' she would try.

Technically, he wasn't 'new.' They had briefly had a relationship when she was 15, but they had broken things off when the war started. She hadn't wanted to, but they both knew there was no other way. He had been very instrumental in the war efforts in Bulgaria, and she had kept tabs on him through The Daily Prophet. She may have hated Rita Skeeter, but the woman was useful every now and then.

She had apparated to a nearby wizard café, then started walking the two blocks to Viktor's hotel. She was glad he had suggested meeting outside. The last thing either one of them needed was some rumor started about her and Viktor spending the night in his hotel room. With her luck, it would probably be in the paper anyway. _Wonder if Harry will get jealous! _

She started laughing at her own little joke. She would have to tell Harry when she got home, he would surely appreciate the humor in it. Of course, Ron wouldn't be happy, but then again, he never was when it came to jokes about her and Harry. She silently scolded herself for even thinking of Ron, She wasn't going to let him ruin her day today.

"Find something funny?" A voice to her left called out. She turned to see none other than Viktor standing there with an adorable smile on his face. She had been so caught up with her musings that she had almost walked right past the hotel. She went to answer him, but her voice caught in her throat.

Viktor was dressed in standard muggle attire, as instructed by her, with faded blue jeans and a red Bulgarian t-shirt. She thought he had looked good in his uniform, but he looked positively sinful in his jeans. She instantly thought of the old muggle commercial, "milk does a body good." If that was true, he must have drunk 8 ounces a day his whole life.


	8. Secrets Revealed

Viktor's pulse sped up as he spotted Hermione on the sidewalk. He kept trying to catch her eye, but she appeared to be lost in thought. He chuckled to himself, knowing it was one of the things that he loved about her. She never seemed to stop thinking, no matter what.

He suddenly realized he had no idea how to greet her when he saw her. Should he hug her? Maybe kiss her on the cheek? Would that be too forward? This was part of the reason why he hated dating. He knew what he was doing on a broom, but he was completely out of his element on a date. Lucky for him, she nearly walked right past him without noticing. His ego was only slightly bruised, but he managed to choke out "Find something funny?"

Her head whipped towards him with a blank look on her face. It took her just a moment to realize who he was. She burst out laughing, then took two quick steps to give him a friendly hug. He breathed a sigh of relief, happy to avoid an awkward meeting.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking to myself, and I nearly walked right past you! You haven't been here long have you?" She asked, her face filled with concern.

"Not at all. I just arrived." He said, not bothering to mention that he had only just walked out because he had spent 30 minutes staring at himself in the mirror in his room. His knew his team breakfast would be over before 9:00, but he wanted to allow himself plenty of time to get ready. He had changed outfits three times, and he hoped he looked okay. He was so desperate, he almost asked Nikolai for help.

"I love the muggle clothes!" Hermione said, giving him an appraising look. He wanted to jump up and down in celebration, but he gave her a shy smile instead. He glanced down at her outfit almost in envy. She looked so beautiful, and she probably didn't have any trouble picking out clothes. She probably didn't even think about what she looked liked – she was absolutely gorgeous even though she didn't know it. To her, he was just another friend…._so far, _he reminded himself.

"You look beautiful." He blurted out, wanting to kick himself for sounding like an idiot. If Nikolai were here, he would probably laugh his arse off.

"Thank you." She said, her eyes sparkling in the early morning sunlight.

"Ready to go?" He asked, anxious to start the day. He hadn't botched the greeting too bad, but he was certain he could make up for it at some point. He had brought plenty of money, both pounds and galleons, and he was determined to show her a good time today. If she enjoyed being around him, maybe she would give him a chance once he told her how he felt…

As they walked through the streets, she filled him in with some of the things she wanted to do. Even though she had lived near London most of her life, she hadn't been sightseeing much, and she wanted to get reacquainted with all that London had to offer. Viktor hadn't spent much time in London, outside his time with her, and he was happy to do anything as long as it made Hermione happy.

The next few hours were a happy blur for Viktor. They opted to use muggle transportation since they were visiting mostly muggle places, and he was glad to be with Hermione. He wasn't that good with muggle money, and his accent still caused him some problems. He had insisted upon paying for nearly everything, despite her protests.

They finally stopped to eat lunch at a little café around 1:00. He had been nervous about keeping a steady conversation, but he found it even easier than last night had been. With just the two of them, they easily fell back into the friendly rhythm created years ago between them.

Much to his surprise, she had spoken about the war, telling him what she had been through, who she had lost. She had teared up once, but quickly shook her head when he asked if she was okay. He had reciprocated, telling her what had happened in Bulgaria. He had rarely spoken about the war, and he knew it was the same for her. After they had ordered their food, she placed her hand softly on his, then said, "Viktor, there's something else I need to tell you."

A blind man could see it was something important, so Viktor focused on her words instead of how much he wanted to keep her hand in his. "You can tell me anything, Hermione."

"I know you probably read some things about me in the war." She said, hesitantly, dropping her eyes to the table in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she raised her face to look him in the eyes. "Viktor, I-I used, well, that's to say….I killed people in the war."

He didn't dare mention it, but he _had _read about her being responsible for the deaths of some Death Eaters. He rarely trusted what he read, though, after his brief encounter with Rita Skeeter. Regardless, he had assumed there was a little truth in the stories. After all, he had killed people, too, although it wasn't quite as publicized as the killings in London.

Before he could respond, she had rushed on. "I know this must change your opinion of me, and I didn't want to tell you, but I knew I had to. Using an Unforgivable Curse isn't something I'm proud of, but I felt it had to be done. You deserved to know the truth, and I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to be friends with me anymore."

Viktor immediately squeezed her hand tighter to prevent her pulling away. "Hermione, I _do _feel differently about you, but it's not vhat you think. I am proud that you fought bravely. It vas tough decision, but you did the right thing. I could not look down on you because…I-I did the same." He watched as she jerked her head up in surprise.

"I…had no idea." She said, squeezing his hand back. "It must have been so hard on you." Her eyes were filled with sympathy, and unless he was mistaken, unshed tears.

"Please don't cry, Hermy-own." He winced at the pronunciation of her name. He had worked so hard to get it right, but he still slipped up from time to time. Without thinking, he let out a string of curses in Bulgarian.

Instead of questioning or reprimanding him on what he said, Hermione started laughing….loud. It wasn't a girly giggle, or even a dignified sophisticated chuckle – it was a full-out, throw-your-head-back laugh. Viktor stared at her as she laughed harder and harder until she was clutching her sides. "Hermione, vhy are you laughing? Vhat is so funny?"

"Viktor…I…speak…Bulgarian." She managed to get out in between gasps for breath. He almost started cursing again before he stopped himself. She was still chuckling, but she had least calmed down enough to talk to him. "I understood everything you said except that last part. I don't think they taught that in my class." She shot him a sly smile before wiping her eyes with a napkin.

"I, I didn't know. I wouldn't haff, I mean, I would never-"

"Oh no, Viktor! Don't ruin it with an apology. It was absolutely priceless!" Hermione said, still smiling up at him. "I was starting to get a little depressed with all the talk about the war, and you managed to find something to take my mind off of it. You really are a saint."

Viktor felt a huge grin spread across his face. She thought he was a saint, and all he had had to do was curse! Of course, if she knew what half his dreams about her involved, there was no way she would call him a saint. Pushing that thought aside, he focused on the new information she shared. "Vhen did you learn Bulgarian? I didn't know you could speak my language."

"I started taking a muggle correspondence class during my fifth year. Since you knew my language, I felt it was only fair to learn yours. Plus, I wanted to impress you." She gave him a lopsided grin and the faintest shade of pink tinged her cheeks. "It ended up taking me nearly a whole year to learn it because I hardly had any time to study. By the time I had learned enough to not embarrass myself, the war had started, and well, you know the rest." She finished lamely, waving her hand as if to dismiss what she had said.

It touched him that she had learned his language _for him. _"Thank you. I think that is nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." He really wanted to say more, but he was afraid it would come out sounding corny. He wanted to tell her she was the most amazing woman he had met, that he thought about her nearly every day for 7 years, that she was even more beautiful than he had ever imagined, that-

"You may not thank me when you hear me speak it. I'm still working on my accent." Hermione said, laughing as she bent down to tie her shoelace. Straightening up, she added in perfect Bulgarian, "Ready to go?"

"Yes. After you, my lady." He replied in the same language as he stood up from the table. He was ready to go alright, but probably not the way she had meant. He silently prayed that certain aspects of his anatomy would behave while she was around.

As they walked through the door, she grabbed his hand and led him out to the sidewalk. It seemed his anatomy would _not _be behaving after all.


	9. An Invitation

She almost bolted out of the café when she admitted to Viktor that she had learned Bulgarian to impress him. It was a stupid, childhood crush that had prompted her to learn his language, but she was certainly glad she did. She was terrified he would think she was some sort of freak, but he appeared to be honestly touched….after he had recovered from his shock, of course.

In truth, she was thrilled with how the day was going. They had talked almost non-stop, and he was even more charming than she remembered. He had insisted upon buying everything, and she quickly learned not to point out anything she liked – if she did, he would invariably offer to buy it for her on the spot. Perhaps the best surprise of the day was how understanding he had been about the events in the war. Instead of condemning what she had done, he had been understanding, and shared his own hidden secrets with her. If possible, she already felt closer to him now than she had when they had dated so many years ago.

She cast a sidelong glance at him as they headed towards another muggle shop. She had impulsively grabbed his hand as they left the café, and he had yet to let go. It worried her just how much she was enjoying the feel of his hand in hers, especially since she didn't know for sure if he wanted to be more than friends or not. The last thing she needed right now was a broken heart, and while Viktor would never consciously hurt her, she was beginning to realize he was starting to have more power over her emotions than she was comfortable with.

His brows were furrowed together in concentration, which she was thankful for. She had already blushed too much around him, and she would most certainly turn crimson if he caught her staring. He was staring at some point in the distance when he face suddenly lit up. "There it is! Ve have been looking in vrong place!"

His voice shook her out of her reverie, and she turned to look down the street. Just as he said, the bookstore they were looking for was only a few stores in front of them. She returned her gaze to him to find him grinning at her. She smiled back, and squeezed his hand as they walked along. She tried to tell herself that it meant nothing, but it was a lie. She knew she could _definitely _get used to being with him, regardless of how he felt about her.

Viktor's POV

As the day winded down, Viktor found himself feeling more and more depressed. He had such a wonderful day with her, the last thing he wanted to do was go home to an empty house. More than anything, he wanted her to come home with him, but there was no way he could ask that. They hadn't even shared a proper kiss, and she would probably throw him out of her apartment if he suggested such a thing. He had the feeling that he was walking on a tight rope, and one wrong move would send him crashing to the ground. He _had _to get it right this time…

They had apparated back to her apartment, and he was watching as she went about the room, returning things to their correct place. He had the feeling she cleaned up after Harry a lot, which caused the slightest pang of jealousy to hit him. He tried not to be, but there were constant reminders that she lived with another man, when he wanted her to live with _him_.

"Did you enjoy today, Hermione?" He asked, curious to know if she enjoyed the day as much as him. His coach told him he had to be back for practice tomorrow; otherwise, he would have suggested another day of sightseeing. Maybe he could take her to Bulgaria, show her around, even take her to his house…

"Oh yes! It was the most fun I've had in a long time." She replied, still running about the room.

Viktor gently reached and took her by the arm as he turned her towards him. "By the vay, vhat do I get for being a saint today?" He asked, not resisting the urge to tease her a little more.

"I didn't realize a saint expected to be rewarded." She said with a smirk.

"Of course, vhy else vould someone be a saint? Othervise, they vould all be devils!" He gave a slight chuckle as she slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Well, let's see what kind of reward you deserve…" She trailed off, placing her hand on her chin as if in deep thought. He knew he didn't really deserve any reward, but he already knew what he wanted…_A kiss! Please say a kiss! _

"How about a home-cooked dinner? I'm not a gourmet cook, but I'd love to cook you dinner tomorrow night if you're free." She looked up at him with hopeful eyes, and he nearly kissed her before he stopped himself. It wasn't a kiss, but it was even better in some ways. _She wanted to see him again! _

"I vould love to!" He said a little too enthusiastically. He felt himself starting to blush, but luckily she spoke again.

"Viktor, about today…" she trailed off as she placed a hand on his arm. "I want to thank you for everything. For not judging me, and for being so wonderful. I just don't know how I could thank you-"

He interrupted her by placing his hands on either side of her face. "Hermione, I vould never judge you, and there is no reason to thank me. I am just happy that you are okay and I have found you again." He hadn't meant to express that last sentiment out loud, but it was too late to take it back. He didn't want to take it back, really, he just wished she felt the same way.

Her eyes widened at his words, and a slight smile appeared on her face. "I'm glad about that, too." He wanted to ask her _exactly _what she was happy about, but he decided to let it slide. Appearing too desperate wouldn't be the best way to impress her.

He dropped his hands down to her sides before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "I vill see you tomorrow, Hermione." He saw her open her mouth, but he apparated home before she could speak.


	10. A Dinner to Remember

She had spent the last three hours cleaning the apartment, taking a shower, picking out clothes, and _attempting_ to cook a gourmet dinner fit for a king. She had finally decided on semi-dress robes since she wasn't sure what he was wearing. They hadn't discussed it before, and she didn't want to appear overdressed. With that settled, she had turned her attention to preparing the dinner. For some unknown reason, it had suddenly become vitally important to her that Viktor approve of her cooking skills. She really didn't know what was coming over her. Why had she invited him to dinner? What was she thinking?

She had never cooked for a man in her life, including Ron. Technically, she had cooked dinners for Harry, but she didn't count those because they were hardly considered romantic. She knew she was a decent cook, but she was a far cry from Julia Child. She had used her mum's recipe for beef stroganoff, and she rounded out the menu with some potatoes, rolls, and chocolate mousse for dessert. As much as she loved being a witch, she was grateful her mum had made her learn a few muggle tricks. All in all, it had turned out rather well, but she was still anxious to see how he liked it.

After checking her reflection in the mirror for the third time, she finally admitted that she was starting to develop some romantic feelings for Viktor. She hadn't planned on it happening, and she had even denied it when she first felt them yesterday. After all, how could you fall for someone you haven't seen in nearly 6 years after less than two days together?

Truth be told, the 'old' Hermione _wouldn't_ have fallen for him. She would have simply remained friends, perhaps suggested they start writing letters again. But surviving the war had changed her, and most of the changes had been for the better in her opinion. The 'new', post-war Hermione was willing to admit that she liked Viktor…a lot, and life was too short to keep denying herself happiness.

She had almost told him how she felt the night before, but he had apparated out of her flat before she could get the words out. She was terrified of telling him, especially since he hadn't really given her any clear-cut signals about his feelings. He could easily reject her, and the new-found friendship might be over even before it could truly get started again. It was a definite risk, but one she was willing to take. If he didn't do anything tonight, then _she _was going to make the first move….somehow.

Before she could contemplate her plan, Viktor apparated into her living room. Thankfully, she had already set the table, complete with two lighted candles, and gotten the food out of the oven. If a candlelit dinner couldn't put him in _the mood, _she was going to have to resort to desperate measures. She gulped, thinking of how desperate some of those measures might be. Smiling brightly, she turned to face Viktor…

…and she nearly fainted on the spot. He was standing there with a smile on his face and a dozen yellow roses in his hand. Thankfully, he had the same idea that she had regarding his outfit, and his robes fit him perfectly. Looking like he did, he could easily put Gilderoy Lockhart to shame. She was mere seconds away from begging him to take her to bed when he finally spoke up.

Viktor's POV

"These are for you." He said, thrusting the flowers towards her shocked face. He hoped her surprised expression was a good sign since he had finally decided to make a move tonight. It was sudden in a way, but he had known her for years, and they had both been through too much to play games with each other. He was falling for her again, and he was going to tell her…tonight.

"Thank you, they're lovely." she murmured, taking the flowers to the kitchen to put them in a vase. He could see her cheeks turn slightly pink as she hugged him, and he knew she was pleased with the flowers. He made a mental note to listen to his mother more often. She had suggested the flowers before, but he had always been too stubborn to take her advice. Hearing her gloat over it wasn't something he cared to endure, so he was hoping he could keep the flowers between him and Hermione.

"Maybe, but they are no match for you, Hermione." It was a little bold of him, but he had summoned up all his courage for tonight. He didn't want her to have any doubts about his feelings. "You look radiant."

He saw the flush in her cheeks deepen, and he smiled inwardly. She clearly wasn't used to receiving compliments, but he fully intended to change that. If she say yes to him, then….no, _when _she said yes to him! He had to think positive!

"You look quite handsome yourself," she replied with a wink. "I just finished dinner, so please have a seat in the kitchen. You have good timing." She said, flashing him a bone-melting smile.

"I hope so," he muttered to himself as he headed into the kitchen.

"Hmm?" She inquired, following behind him with a basket of rolls.

"Oh, nothing." He responded hastily, walking quickly to sit down in his seat at the table. He gave her a smile as he added, "Shall we eat?"

The knot in his stomach only managed to get bigger during dinner. While the conversation was steady as always, he could feel an underlying tension in the room. Had she figured out he was interested in her romantically? Was she trying to figure out a way to let him down easy? Self-doubt started to slowly creep in throughout the evening, and he was finding it harder and harder to push it out of his mind.

He had complimented her throughout the meal, making sure to ask for a second helping of everything. Her cooking was actually quite good, which secretly thrilled him. He would still fancy her regardless of her culinary skills, but it was simply an unexpected bonus. She would smile and blush a little at each compliment, and she seemed to be relaxing a little by the time they had finished dessert.

Mustering up the paltry remains of his courage, he flicked his wand, muttering a spell that caused the air to fill with the sound of classical music. She turned her face towards his, those beautiful brown eyes slightly widened. He stood up, walked over to her chair, and extended his arm, asking in Bulgarian, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Her hand flew to cover her mouth, smothering what could only be described as a giggle. She placed her hand in his, wordlessly accepting his offer. As he pulled her into his arms, he felt his heart rate speed up. While they had danced together before at the club, this was all together different. The music had a slow, romantic beat, and their bodies were pressed against each other with no one else around to ruin the moment.

"We need to practice for the banquet, yes?" He asked, allowing his lips to quirk upwards slightly. Holding her this close made him want to grin like a silly fool, and he was desperately fighting to keep that from happening. He promised himself he would hold it in until he had told her how he felt.

Hermione laughed at his question. "You make dancing sound like practicing Quidditch, Viktor." She said teasingly, keeping her hands around his neck as she stared up at him.

Without thinking, he replied, "There is no comparison. Dancing vith you is much better than Quidditch." _There, _that was a decent start.

"Oh, I…" she trailed off, biting her bottom lip nervously. He was beginning to believe he had misread her signals when she replied, "I feel the same way."

The tension in the air had gotten so thick, he expected it to snap any second. As much as he wanted to keep dancing, he couldn't manage to keep his feet moving when so much was going through his head. He stopped dancing, but he kept his hands around her waist. He didn't want her running away until he had told her everything. "Hermione, you haff always been vonderful friend to me, and I haff missed you very much. I vant to get to know you better, but I don't vant to do it as friends."

He waited a moment for a reply, but she just stood there with her mouth slightly open, no expression on her lovely face. Pushing forward, he said, "I vant us to start dating. Ve can go slow if you vant, but I cannot keep my feelings to myself any longer. Seeing you again has made me realize I am not over you." When there was still no response from her, he felt his heart sink. In a vain attempt to alleviate some of the awkwardness, he added, "I think maybe I ask for too much."


	11. Acceptance

While Viktor was talking, she felt her mouth gape open, staring at him like he had suddenly started speaking in a foreign language. She knew she would eventually have to respond, but she couldn't think of what to say. His last words finally seemed to penetrate the haze she was in. He thought he was asking too _much? _She couldn't believe this was happening. Her thoughts all day had been about her fear of him rejecting her, now only to find he wanted her, too. She shook her head, thinking of how ridiculous her worries seemed now. When she looked up, she saw he had misread what she was thinking, and his face had turned into a disconcerting frown.

She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "Viktor, I think you ask for too _little_." Her gaze strayed to his lips, which she had dreamed of kissing the past two nights. He looked back at her with a confused look on his face before finally understanding what she wanted, and he leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

She was sure her heart was about to burst when he had placed his lips on hers. The kiss was so soft, so tender, it was more of a caress than anything. She knew he was a passionate man, so his gentleness took her by surprise. She had thought he was a good kisser years ago, but the way he was kissing now could make a woman swoon.

He pulled back a little, and she almost groaned in disappointment before she caught herself. He gazed down at her, his face completely unreadable. "Can I take this as a yes, Hermione?"

She thought about teasing him a little, but she really wanted to get back to kissing him. Without hesitating, she answered, "Yes" and watched as a huge smile bloomed on his face. She loved it when he smiled – it seemed to change his looks entirely. He was handsome regardless, but seeing him _happy _made him that much more attractive.

When Viktor leaned in for another kiss, she quickly realized this one was different. While he was still gentle, there was a heat present that was missing from the first one. He pulled her even closer to him, and she responded by wrapping her arms tighter about his neck. When she tilted her head to let the kiss go deeper, she could feel him slide his tongue slowly into her mouth.

She moaned in response, and Viktor's grip became even tighter. His technique had definitely improved during the past six years. She could tell things were heating up quickly, and she found herself surprised that she was enjoying it. Instead of her backing away or pushing him away, she was ready and willing to move ahead to the next level with Viktor. He had just slid his hands down her back when she heard…

"Hermione, have you seen my new Quidditch gloves? I thought I left them at The Burrow, but I can't seem to-"

She and Viktor immediately released each other and automatically took a step back. "Harry!" Hermione yelled coldly, beyond furious at his interruption. She had explicitly told him in no uncertain terms that he was to be gone for at least 3 hours tonight. According to her watch, she and Viktor still had a good thirty minutes before Harry was supposed to return. Did he not realize what could have happened in the next thirty minutes? He was _definitely _going to pay for this one.

Harry guiltily stuck his head around the corner of the kitchen and smiled weakly at her. "Um, hi, Hermione, Viktor. I, uh, forgot about tonight, and I needed my gloves, see, and I couldn't-"

"They're in your room, Harry. I put them in your chest of drawers, second drawer from the top." She interrupted, hoping he would take the hint and leave. Thankfully, he disappeared into his room, and they heard the telling 'pop' of apparition a few moments later.

Hermione turned to Viktor, who was doing his best to keep from laughing. The mood was undoubtedly ruined at this point, but at least he wasn't upset about it. Ron and Harry had both managed to interrupt her and Viktor, and she was starting to wonder how much of it was unintentional. If he suspected it was intentional, he at least seemed to be hiding it well.

"I'm sorry, Viktor. I told him to stay away tonight, I swear." She said it almost pleadingly, hoping he would believe her.

She watched as his face changed from amused to curious. "Why did you tell him to stay avay, Hermione?"

_Oh, bugger! _She hadn't planned on revealing the 'why' behind her actions tonight. She could at least find solace in the fact that he had the same thing in mind. "I was planning on telling you that I wanted to be more than friends, and I didn't want anyone to interrupt us." Her face was thankfully only slightly flushed, which gave her a little hope. Maybe if they dated for a while, she could stop blushing all together.

"Really?" Viktor inquired, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Yes, but you saved me the trouble, so I guess I should thank you." She said, smiling slightly. Did he honestly not see that she had feelings for him? After yesterday, she assumed her feelings were transparent. She had offered to cook for him – wasn't that supposed to be a blatant signal of interest? Maybe she should call Lavender for a few more flirting tips….Viktor was interested in her right _now_, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little more ammunition just in case.

"You are most velcome." Viktor replied, raising her hand to brush lightly across his lips. Yes, _charming _was definitely the word to describe him. "Since you are now indebted to me, perhaps you vill eat lunch vith me and my family tomorrow?"

Her face lit up at the idea, and she could see Viktor's hopeful expression on his face. She suddenly shook her head in disgust, disbelieving she had almost forgotten her plans. "I'm sorry, Viktor, I would love to, I really would, but I already made plans for tomorrow."

He nodded his head in acceptance, but his hopeful expression was gone. He hesitated a few moments, then asked quietly, "Vho are your plans vith, Hermione?"


	12. Forgive and Forget

He almost didn't ask about her plans, but he couldn't help himself. Jealousy was usually a foreign concept to him, but his relationship with Hermione had always been the exception. When he was 18, he had been jealous of how close she was with her best friends, especially Harry. Now, she was living with the most famous wizard in the world, and he couldn't help but wonder…

"Ginny, Lavender, Luna, and I are going to have a girls' day tomorrow. We usually have them every six weeks or so. I cancelled on them last time, and they made me promise to come this time." Hermione said, her voice laced with regret.

His fears were proven unfounded, and he couldn't have been happier. While he desperately wanted her to meet his family, he knew there would be other opportunities, even if he had to create them himself. He was just glad that she was spending the day with other _girls_. "It's okay. I promise you vill meet them soon." She seemed to perk up a bit after that, and he pulled her into his arms for a hug.

When he heard her sigh with contentment, he knew things would never again be the same for him. He would no longer be satisfied with an occasional date from a practical stranger, and flying would no longer be the love of his life. He had found her tonight, and he came to the bittersweet realization that he wasn't going to ever be happy again without her.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before saying goodbye, pausing to ask her to dinner the evening after next. While his first choice would have been to plant a long, deep kiss on her lips, he knew where that could lead. She had been so responsive to his touch, and he was pleasantly surprised when she kissed him back with as much passion as he had. While taking her to bed would have been a dream come true, he didn't want her to get caught up in the moment and regret things in the morning.

Upon reaching his house, he immediately broke out into what was best described as a jig. His teammates would have teased him mercilessly if they had seen his crowing, but he doubted that he would have even cared. He knew he looked silly dancing around his bedroom, but it was a _victory _dance. Not only had he managed to tell Hermione how he felt, but she actually felt the same way! Well, at least for the most part…

He hadn't told her the full extent of his feelings, but it didn't feel like the right time just yet. He wanted her to trust him first, then maybe slowly let her get accustomed to how much he wanted to be with her. With any luck, he might be able to convince her to move in with him in a few months. The thought of Hermione sharing a life with him was too much for a victory dance, so he did the next best thing besides apparating back to Hermione's flat – he grabbed his broom for a late-night flight.

Hermione's POV

The next morning, Hermione awoke at 6:00 am to go jogging in the nearby muggle park. It was her normal routine, but today was different. After nearly 4 years of being alone, she was in a relationship with none other than Viktor Krum. The entire time she was jogging, she kept replaying the night before in her mind. The way his eyes gazed at her, so intense, the way he kissed her, and the way he held her…

She snapped out of her daydream as she realized she had run past her flat. Scolding herself for acting like a starry-eyed teenager, she walked into the flat to see last night's culprit on the couch. Harry immediately got up and began apologizing, but she held up her hand to silence him.

"Harry, don't you have somewhere to be? Surely there's another couple out there snogging each other senseless, and it appears to be yours and Ron's duty to go interrupt them, so what are you waiting for?" She queried sarcastically, aware that her maturity level had suddenly taken a nosedive.

"Hermione, I-I'm so s-sorry," Harry stammered, looking down at his feet.

He looked so pitiful standing there, with his messy black hair and sorrowful green eyes that she couldn't stay mad at him. Seeing his face, she knew he hadn't meant to interrupt them, and her animosity towards him was rapidly evaporating. Besides, she reasoned, he at least had the decency not to interrupt until _after _they had kissed.

""Oh, I know, Harry, and I forgive you." She didn't much get the words out before he had enveloped her in a huge bear hug. "You're still an annoying prat, sometimes."

Harry clasped his hand to his heart in mock-hurt before responding, "That may be, but at least this annoying prat made you breakfast."

While the gesture was definitely noble, it had Hermione stepping back in apprehension. Harry wasn't the best cook in the world, and she feared what the kitchen would be if he had been cooking breakfast. It never ceased to amaze her that someone who made her feel so safe in the presence of Voldemort could make her feel utterly terrified in a kitchen.

"Don't worry, Hermione," Harry assured her, "I promise I cleaned the kitchen before you got here. Ginny _has _been teaching me a thing or two, you know?"

"Oh yes, I believe I've heard enough to know that." Hermione said with a smirk, watching as Harry's face went scarlet. The flat was nice, but that didn't mean it had concrete walls. While Harry and Ginny were usually quiet, there had been a few afternoon sessions where they had apparently forgotten to use a silencing charm. Out of respect, she hadn't mentioned the incidents, but after last night, she figured he was due for a little teasing.

"Bloody hell, Hermione." He muttered, shaking his head. "I've got to start remembering that silencing charm."

She laughed as she settled back into her chair. The breakfast Harry cooked was surprisingly good, considering he had taken the trouble to fix both sausage and bacon, along with scrambled eggs and toast. They ate their breakfast leisurely, neither one on a rushed time schedule. Their Sunday morning brunches had been one of her favorite things about living with Harry.

Once they finished with breakfast, she showered, then changed for her day at Luna's house. While she missed Viktor, she knew today was going to be a lot of fun. She had gotten closer to Lavender and Luna since the war ended, and she found it surprising how much she enjoyed their company. Her relationship with Ginny was better than ever, now that the younger girl had finally gotten over her living with Harry.

"Hermione!" Luna yelled, rushing to greet Hermione when she apparated into Luna's house. In fairness, it was really more of a mansion. Apparently, the magazine she owned with her father was still doing good business. Her flat seemed like a shack in comparison, but Hermione didn't begrudge the blond-haired Ravenclaw. Everyone, including Luna, had suffered enough, and she was thrilled to see her getting along so well.

While Hermione took turns hugging Ginny then Lavender, the girls began talking excitedly about their plans for the day. Shopping was a definite necessity, and they had added a well-known Italian restaurant to the day's agenda as well. The hustle and bustle of the day was a welcome distraction for Hermione, and she _almost _forgot about missing Viktor…almost.


	13. First Time

After 3 hours of non-stop shopping, Hermione was exhausted. Jogging each morning was one thing, but pounding the pavement in search of the perfect dress was another matter entirely. They finally arrived at the restaurant, _La Strada_, and she gratefully lowered herself into the chair once they were seated.

"So," Luna began in her soft, dreamy voice, "Ginny tells us that you have a new beau, Hermione. Is this true?"

She watched as three expectant faces turned towards her, and she almost laughed. They hadn't mentioned Viktor one time during the past three hours, but Hermione was now certain they had only been holding back so they could ambush her at lunch. "Yes, Luna, but it was just official last night."

Ginny squealed in delight at her answer. "That's wonderful, Hermione! I was so afraid Harry had messed it up. He felt terrible, but I still yelled at him for you." The pretty red-head squeezed Hermione's hand in a show of support. At Luna and Lavender's puzzled looks, Ginny explained, "Harry kind of interrupted them last night."

"It's okay, Ginny." Hermione said, squeezing her hand back. "Harry apologized again this morning, and you know I can't stay mad at him for long. I let you handle that." She said teasingly, watching as Ginny's face lit up with a smile.

"So when are you going to see him again?" Lavender asked, leaning forward, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at her friends. They seemed even more excited than she was about her and Viktor's relationship. She spent the entire lunch being pumped for more information regarding the past weekend's events. Once their curiosity was sufficiently satisfied for the moment, the topic of conversation seemed to drift…only to end up right back where it started.

"So, Hermione, when are you moving to the next level with Mr. Krum?" Ginny asked with a mischievous grin on her face. If there was one thing Ginny was good at, it was embarrassing Hermione. Some of the things that came out of the youngest Weasley's mouth would make even the twins' faces turn red.

"Just be careful when you do, Hermione." Lavender put in. "It can be a little painful your first time, so don't let him pressure you."

"Definitely," agreed Luna as she sipped her tea. "Make sure he knows up front you are a virgin, so he won't go too fast."

Hermione glanced around at the three girls who were all nodding their heads in agreement with the sentiments expressed. While she was reluctant to admit certain details of her past, she was even more reluctant to listen to a lecture about her supposed first time. "I hate to disappoint you ladies, but I'm not a virgin." She stated the sentence calmly because she had a sneaking suspicion their reaction would be anything but calm…she was right.

"What?" screeched Ginny, who could be heard over both Luna and Lavender protests. Hermione had to physically push Ginny back into her chair before they were thrown out of the restaurant.

"I'm not a virgin, Ginny. I know I should have told you, but I couldn't at the time, and then I just put it out of my mind." She hoped her explanation would help, but her friends' faces weren't encouraging.

"When? With who? Was it Ron? Was it Harry? Oh gods, it was Harry, wasn't it?" Ginny asked frantically, making Hermione's head spin with the barrage of questions.

"No!" Hermione answered, trying to keep her voice down. The people around them were starting to stare, and she didn't relish the thought of discussing her virginity with the patrons of the restaurant. "It wasn't Harry _or _Ron. I was fifteen when it happened."

"Fifteen?" Lavender asked incredulously.

"Yes." Hermione responded rather tersely. Lavender made it sound like she was some sort of slag. She would admit fifteen was a little young, but it wasn't like she had a string of lovers.

"Well," Luna started slowly, "if it wasn't Harry or Ron, then who was it?"

Hermione nearly winced at Luna's question. She knew it was inevitable, but she was dreading answering the question. It would only encourage more questions from her friends, most of which she wasn't in the mood to answer. Taking in their eager faces, she decided to face the music. "Actually, it was with….Viktor."

"Viktor?" Ginny sputtered, water dribbling down her chin. "Why didn't you tell us? I had no idea!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the girl's question. "Don't you remember, Ginny? I was fifteen, which made Viktor eighteen. Technically, it was illegal since he was of age, and I wasn't. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want him to get into trouble. Besides, if Harry or Ron found out…" she trailed off, knowing it was unnecessary to finish the sentence for them.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Lavender spoke up. "I understand why you didn't tell us, Hermione. I hope I didn't offend you earlier-"

"Don't worry about it, Lav." Hermione said, cutting off her apology. She fully expected them to be surprised. She probably would have had a similar reaction if she were in their shoes, so she wasn't going to hold it against them. "It happened over the summer before my sixth year. I visited him over the summer in Bulgaria." She paused, not really knowing how to say what was coming next, "I somehow managed to get my head out of a book long enough to…well, you can fill in the blanks."

The three girls merely sat in silence for the next few moments, finally broken by a giggle from Ginny. She tried to smother it, but she just ended up laughing harder. Apparently, it was contagious because soon all four girls were approaching hysterics. Hermione felt herself relax as the laughter finally died down. It was wonderful to have such good _female _friends. Harry and Ron had been wonderful friends in school, but she had always wished for the close companionship of female friends who were more understanding.

She almost regretted her wish when the girls proceeded to ask her question after question about her and Viktor. They wanted to know all the specifics, including the how, when, where, etc. Her answers were awkward at first, but soon she was providing them with enough details to make them blush.

Truth be told, her time with Viktor that summer was, for lack of a better term, _magical. _He wasn't a virgin, but he wasn't exactly experienced either. She originally assumed he had been with lots of girls, especially considering how many giggling girls followed him around. He had confessed to her that he had only been with a handful of girls, and he was terrified of disappointing her. She had almost laughed at the idea of being disappointed in him, especially since she had no one to compare him to. Of course, his worries were for naught because he was simply wonderful.

She had spent a month with him during that summer, and it was possibly one of the best months of her life. They had spent hours talking, laughing, and reading books from his library. His parents were gone, so they basically had the run of the house to themselves. He had been such a good friend that she hadn't felt nearly as awkward about moving their friendship into the bedroom. They had slept together several times during that summer, and for the first time in her life, she dreaded the start of school.

She had heard that you always remember your first 'love.' While she and Viktor had never told each other they loved one another, she knew she had cared for him in a way she hadn't for anyone else. But they were young, and with the war, it had been impossible to keep in touch. Losing touch with him had hurt almost as much as losing Dumbledore. Now that he was back…as much as she tried to stop herself, she couldn't help but reminisce about that summer. Without realizing it, a slow smile had made its way across her face, much to her friends' delight.


	14. New Opportunity

The next day, Hermione headed off to work with a smile on her face. While she considered herself a happy person overall, the fact that her personal life was finally getting on track made it nearly impossible to wipe the grin. About the only thing that could change it was what she saw when she walked into her office…

Edgar Johnson, coach of the Manchester Quidditch team, was examining her bookcase while a vaguely familiar man was standing a few feet from her desk, glancing at his watch. "Coach Johnson?" she asked, not wanting to take him unawares.

Both men glanced up in surprise as she walked to her desk. "Ah, Miss Granger, I didn't expect you for a few more minutes. Please, have a seat. We have something important we need to discuss."

Hermione quickly seated herself at Coach Johnson's words. She tried to keep a confident air about herself, but she was secretly shaking inside. The rotation at Manchester had gone beautifully, so she thought, and she wasn't aware of any problems with her work. The idea that she had failed at being a mediwitch literally made her sick to her stomach.

The other man in the room finally thrust his hand forward in a greeting. He was taller than Manchester's coach, and he had a distinctly mysterious aura about him. "Forgive me, Miss Granger, for not introducing myself earlier. I am Igor Alekseyev, coach of the Vrasta Vultures." She extended her hand to shake his, and she felt her heartbeat quicken. His stare was so intense, it reminded her of Viktor…

What was Viktor's coach doing here? She had seen him at a few matches, hence the passing familiarity with him, but he had never shown up at a practice. It suddenly dawned on her that she had no idea if mediwitches and players were allowed to date. She immediately began running through worst-case scenarios in her mind. _What if Viktor was in trouble for seeing her? Would she lose her job? How had they known so fast? _

Before she could defend herself or Viktor from the imaginary accusations she had conjured up, Edgar spoke again. "Mr. Alekseyev is a very busy man, so let me get right to the point. As you know, we've been very pleased with your work thus far." Hermione gave him a small smile as he continued, "but Vrasta has unfortunately, not been given the most, er, competent mediwitch." Edgar glanced quickly at the Vrasta coach, clearly trying to avoid offending him.

"Technically, you aren't scheduled to rotate to Vrasta for another few weeks. However, after Chesterfield's win last night, it appears we aren't going to be contenders for the Championship this year. Since Vrasta is already guaranteed to be in the running, we agreed it would be best for you to begin your rotation there immediately."

Hermione sat in shock at his words. This was most definitely not what she was expecting, but she had to admit it was much better than any of her imaginings. She opened her mouth to speak, but Edgar rambled on, not giving her a chance to interrupt. "I want to make sure you understand that this is a reflection only of your outstanding ability. We are extremely sorry to see you go, but you will be most pleased with your new team, I'm sure."

Igor, as if on cue, bowed slightly to Hermione. "We are very excited to have you with us. I understand you speak Bulgarian, which is rare, and your outstanding test scores speak for themselves. We hope you will accept the position."

She sat in her chair, unmoving, until she realized they were expecting an answer. Finally managing to find her voice, she squeaked, "When do I start?"

Igor looked extremely pleased with her response, and immediately answered, "Tomorrow at 8:00 sharp. We will show you the facilities and what is expected of you." He thrust a piece of parchment into her hands before shaking hands with Edgar, then apparating with a faint 'pop'.

She looked down at the parchment in her hands. It contained the instructions on how to floo to Vrasta's stadium, written in a scrawling handwriting she attributed to Mr. Alekseyev. She was already intrigued by the Bulgarian coach. He appeared to be efficient to the point of rudeness, but she knew he was an excellent coach. His English was nearly perfect, too, and she could hardly distinguish an accent. Yes, working for him would definitely be interesting.

The rest of the day went by without any major interruptions. The players, having been told of her departure, came by to wish her luck. She would miss them, especially the girls. Most of the Quidditch teams had at least a few girls, and Manchester was no exception. While only two girls were in the starting lineup, there were five girls total on the team. They had immediately made her feel welcome, and it wouldn't be the same not seeing their faces everyday. After the hugs and goodbyes were over, she prepared to apparate to her flat, anxious for her date. Before she left, though, she managed to sneak a peek at the IQL mediwitch manual, and she was not disappointed – it turns out her worrying was unnecessary. There was _nothing _in the manual that prohibited mediwitches and players dating…and she fully intended to make use of her newfound knowledge.

Viktor's POV

His day had started out wonderfully, but it had ended on a dismal note. Quidditch practice was terrific – the team seemed to be playing better than ever. Everything was fine until the coach made an announcement that ruined Viktor's good mood. It appeared the mediwitch was fired from the Vrasta team, which was met with applause from the Vrasta players, including Viktor. The next part, however, was the worst news he had heard all year.

"We will be receiving an emergency replacement for Miss Wells." Coach Alekseyev stated matter-of-factly in Bulgarian. "She will be joining us tomorrow, and she comes highly recommended, so I expect everyone will be on their best behavior. Any questions?"

"Is she pretty?" Sergei asked, earning a fair number of snickers from the players. Sergei was known for his luck with the women, and he was never one to pass up a pretty girl.

The coach shook his head disapprovingly before answering, "Yes, Sergei, she is in fact very pretty and apparently unmarried. I daresay you will be very pleased. Any more _relevant _questions?" He asked.

"I thought we were going to have a mediwitch rotate here after the banquet." Viktor said, his brow furrowing in thought.

"We were, but that is no longer necessary. The mediwitch coming tomorrow will remain with us the rest of the season." The coach answered, before apparating back to his office.

While the other players began taking bets on who the mediwitch would go out with first, Viktor sat slumped in his chair. _Hermione _was supposed to be rotating to his team, not some silly mediwitch who was messing things up for him. He was depending upon seeing Hermione everyday so he could win her over. If she was with another team, it would take him that much longer to convince her to stay with him.

He spent the rest of his day in a surly mood, refusing to join in the betting with Sergei. His teammates noticed his mood, but kept their comments to themselves. He was known to be moody, and they probably assumed he was nervous about the upcoming match against Manchester. The only thing that kept him from cursing was knowing that in a few hours time, he would be sharing a wonderful dinner with the love of his life.


	15. Surprise

Viktor placed the flowers on the table and stood back to admire his work. He was so nervous about inviting Hermione to his house that he had opted to do some of the cleaning without his wand. He was afraid he would mess up a spell, which could cause any number of problems. At least if he accidentally messed something up by hand, he could clean it up quickly. Thankfully, the house elves had prepared the dinner, and Viktor was pleasantly surprised to find they had outdone themselves. He had given them all a little extra to make sure tonight went well, and they were holding up their end of the bargain so far.

He heard the fireplace light up in his living room, and he walked in to find a distraught-looking Hermione, who was quietly muttering spells to clean off the floo powder. Upon seeing him, her face broke out into a huge smile. Viktor felt his heart melt, and he rushed to pull her into a fierce hug. When he pulled back a little, he dipped his head to plant a chaste kiss on her lips. He promised himself he would behave, at least until after dinner.

"How vas your day, Hermione?" Viktor said as he led her by the hand to his kitchen. It was difficult to take his eyes off of her, with her beautiful long brown hair pulled back into a bun and a long, flowing blue dress that hugged her curves. He knew she couldn't look less than beautiful no matter what, but she seemed to become more enchanting each time he saw her.

"It was very interesting." She responded cryptically, staring at the kitchen with a look of awe on her face. "How was yours?"

"It-it vas not good. I haff some bad news." Viktor said sadly, turning Hermione to face him. He had planned to wait until later, but he couldn't keep the news to himself throughout dinner. Knowing her, she would have figured out something was wrong long before he was ready to tell her.

"What is it, Viktor?" Hermione said concernedly, placing a hand on his cheek. His resolve to behave was noticeably weaker when she touched him, so he took a small step back. "We are getting new mediwitch tomorrow."

He expected her to be upset, but she looked more confused than anything. "Why is that bad news? Were you close to the last mediwitch?" She asked curiously.

"No!" He responded vehemently, thinking in disgust of the recently-fired Miss Wells. She reminded him of the giggling girls who still followed him around from time to time. "But you vere supposed to be vith Vrasta after the banquet, now some silly medivitch takes your place."

"Is that it?" Hermione asked lightly, again surprising Viktor with her answer. Maybe he was mistaken, maybe the kiss didn't mean as much to her as it had to him. He was sure she would be upset about not rotating to his team, but she didn't seem to be the least bit bothered by it.

"Vhat do you mean, 'is that it'? I vanted you to be vith me, but you-"

"I'm the silly mediwitch coming tomorrow, Viktor." Hermione interrupted. He just stared at her, trying to process what she had just said. He moved his mouth, but he couldn't get any words to come out. "I'm starting with Vrasta tomorrow," she said, taking a step closer to him.

Without thinking, Viktor grabbed her by the waist and crushed his lips to hers. Since speaking wasn't an option at this point, he figured he would use his mouth in _other _ways to let her know he was happy. _Happy _didn't really do his emotions justice, but he couldn't think of the word…

"Hermione, I am so…vhat is vord? More than happy?" He asked when he pulled back, not the least bit bothered by having to ask for her help. She had never laughed at him, even when he had horribly mispronounced her name. That was one more reason he had fallen in love with her.

"Elated? Ecstatic?" Hermione guessed, her face still lit up with a smile.

"Ecstatic! Yes, that is vord! I am _ecstatic!" _Viktor said, twirling her around wildly before setting her back down in her chair. She gave a squeal of delight before turning her face back to his, inquisitive once more.

"I am, too! But what I really want to know is when do I get a tour of your lovely home, Viktor?" She asked. He loved the way she said his name. He especially loved it when she said it while they were- _No! _He silently cursed himself for getting off track again. It was nearly impossible for him to be a gentleman around her. His objective was to make her trust him, but he seemed incapable of acting in an appropriate manner around her.

"Tour vill be after dinner, Hermione." He answered, giving her a slight smile before taking his seat. "I haff small surprise for you." His smile turned mischievous as he picked up his fork to eat. She spent the next few minutes attempting to charm the surprise out of him, but he remained firm. She had told him before he was a stubborn man, and he intended to prove her right.

The dinner, much to his relief, was superb. The house elves had outdone themselves, and he was relieved to see that she seemed to be enjoying it as well. Once the dessert dishes were cleared, she stood up from the table and walked behind his chair. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear, "Will you tell me now, Viktor?"

Her voice seemed to have a direct line to certain body parts in his lower half. Her breath was tickling his neck, coupled with the fact that she said his name again, and he was having a terrible time not skipping the surprise and heading straight to his bedroom. If he was going to survive the evening without ruining things, he would have to get the upper hand. In a flash, he had stood up and turned around, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Little vixen!" He growled playfully, "ve vill start tour now, then haff surprise later."

She pretended to pout, but the laugh that escaped her ruined the effect. He pulled her along by her hand as he headed off to show her the rest of his house. He couldn't help thinking that if things went smoothly, maybe in a few months, she would call it her own…

Hermione's POV

Dinner had been a complete success in her opinion. She hadn't made a major faux pas, and he had seemed genuinely pleased to see her. The food itself had been spectacular, but her favorite part was when he had told her the house elves prepared it…the house elves that _he had freed. _Even though she had long since abandoned S.P.E.W., the fact that he had freed the elves warmed her heart to no end.

When the tour started, a few seconds passed before she could really take in her surroundings. Viktor's house was, in a word, magnificent. It made Luna's mansion look almost _cramped. _When she had visited him years ago, he had still lived with his parents, even though he was looking for his own house at the time. She knew his family was very wealthy, but his Quidditch career had made him wealthy in his own right. While she had saved her money over the years, she couldn't help but feel a little out of her league in the presence of so much affluence.

Viktor moved through the rooms rather quickly, only pointing out a few items that had significant meaning to him. She could tell that he lived alone. Even though the house was spotless, which spoke to a female presence, it had a decidedly masculine feel to it. There were no knickknacks, no gratuitous wall coverings, just simple, clean lines. It was most definitely a reflection of his taste, and Hermione found herself slowly falling in love with the house. Lost in her thoughts, she bumped into him as they approached a door at the end of the hall. For some reason, he had hesitated at the entrance, and she had clumsily knocked into him. _So much for impressing him…_

After murmuring an apology, Viktor opened the door, and Hermione gasped in surprise. It was an enormous room, beautifully decorated, but it was the four-poster bed on the left side of the room that nearly stopped her heart. She instinctively knew this was his bedroom, and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. All those memories from their summer together were flooding back…

"Viktor, is that the same…?" Hermione asked, not able to finish the sentence. Unless she was mistaken, this was the same bed where they had spent many nights together so long ago. She knew it wouldn't make sense, especially since he clearly had enough money to get a new bed after 6 years. The idea that it was the same bed was probably just a product of her overactive imagination, which was in overdrive the past few days.

"Yes, it is." He responded quietly, moving closer towards her. She heard herself make a tiny gasp as he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him. He looked down at her with those intense brown eyes, "It has too many vonderful memories of us. I couldn't let it go."

_He kept the bed for her? _Surely not. It _was _a beautiful bed after all, so he was probably just trying to make her feel better. There was no telling how many girls had been in his bed. Not that he was to blame, necessarily. He _was _a man, an incredibly handsome one in her opinion, and he had countless women at his beck and call. Any hot-blooded man in his place would do the same thing. Regardless, the thought of him with another woman left her feeling very cold.

He must have been reading her mind because he tipped up her chin with his thumb. "You are only voman to share this bed vith me, Hermione." He said, kissing her tenderly on the lips. "Besides my mother, no voman has seen my bedroom except you." He moved down to kiss her jawline, then lower to her neck and collarbone. Her heart was beating so loudly, she was surprised he couldn't hear it. She wanted to tell him what it meant to her, but she couldn't form words. When she tried, it came out as a throaty moan, and Viktor took it as encouragement to continue his ministrations. He kept kissing her neck, murmuring sweet nothings, and she felt his hand reach under the hem of her shirt. It felt so wonderful to have his hand on her bare skin, and she knew she was going to be a willing participant in anything he had planned…

He suddenly pulled back with a shocked expression on his face. She felt her face flush as she realized what they had been doing, and what she had been _wanting _to do. She knew it was silly to feel guilty since they were both adults now, but she didn't want him to think she was the type of girl to do this with just _anyone. _Fortunately, he spoke first to break the awkward silence, "I'm very sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to…" He trailed off, and she tried to let him know there was nothing to apologize for, but he continued, "I promised you a surprise, yes?"

She tried to hide her disappointment as he led her out of his bedroom to another room a few doors down. While it never entered her mind during dinner, when she saw the bedroom, she was secretly hoping the bed would be the surprise. She couldn't believe her body's reaction when she was around Viktor. She had never been one to fawn over boys like Lavender or Parvati, but she felt positively wanton around him. When he stared at her with longing in his eyes, she felt like wrapping her arms around him and never letting go.

All the disappointment left her mind when she saw the surprise a few moments later. The 'surprise' was, in fact, a monstrous library filled with books on seemingly every subject. Three walls were lined with books, and the fourth wall, where the door was located, had enormous overstuffed couches and chairs for reading. She knew her mouth was hanging open, and she could hear Viktor chuckling behind her. Their love of books was one of the many things they had in common, and it was what had first attracted her to him. The fact that he was a famous Quidditch player had ranked quite low on her list then, and it was no different now.

While she picked out a book to read, Viktor got out a few blankets and situated himself at the end of one of the couches. She settled in next to him, leaning back against his chest. When she started reading, she realized how comfortable she was with Viktor. It just felt so…_right, _in a way that she had never felt with any of her other boyfriends. Even her time with Ron and Harry hadn't felt this way. It was as if she was meant to do this all along.

Gathering up her courage, she swung her feet over the side of the couch so she could turn to face him. "Viktor," she began slowly, glancing up at the quizzical look on his face, "there was no need for you to apologize earlier. You didn't do anything wrong."

Viktor shook his head slowly before responding, "No, Hermione, I did. I should not haff been so forvard vith you. I do not control myself vell around you." He almost looked ashamed, with his sad eyes and deepened scowl.

"That's not true!" she cried, reaching up to put her hands on either side of his face. "I wanted it to happen as much as you did. Nothing happened that I didn't want to happen." She was running the risk of sounding a little easy, but she couldn't handle Viktor thinking he had done something wrong. If anything, she wanted to go _further _with him…._shameless hussy, _she berated herself.

"You vant to….vith me?" Viktor asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes were boring into her, almost like they could see through her.

"Yes." She confirmed, thrilled at seeing his face light up at her response. "Viktor, y-you are actually the only man I-I've been with," she said haltingly, not entirely sure she should share that bit of knowledge.

He looked shocked at her admission, but quickly recovered. "I am honored, Hermione." Viktor said seriously. "If I may ask, vhy only me? Surely many men have vanted to be vith such a beautiful, smart voman. I thought maybe you forget about me."

It was her turn to feel shock now. "What? How could I forget about you? It was the best summer of my life." She said, practically rushing over the words. It somehow seemed to alleviate her embarrassment if she said it faster. "I haven't been with anyone because no one was as special to me as you were. It just never felt right, like it did with you."


	16. First Day of Work

He couldn't believe she hadn't been with another man besides him. He had assumed she had been with at least Harry or Ron, perhaps both, and it had rankled him to see how close they still were. The idea that he had been the only man to make love to her sent a surge of possessiveness through him. He wanted the two of them to be together again, but this time it would be even better…it would be permanent.

Before he could tell her, she spoke again, "I did want to discuss one thing with you about tomorrow." He could tell by her tone that this was not going to be something he would enjoy. As much as he wanted to steer the conversation back to the previous topic, he had the feeling she was a little embarrassed by revealing so much, and she wouldn't appreciate his attempts.

"I want you to know that I consider you my, well, boyfriend for lack of a better word, and I do not want to be with anyone else but you." Viktor smiled at her words, relieved that she felt the same way he did. He had been hoping she would be okay with a steady relationship because he didn't think he could tolerate sharing her with anyone else.

Her next words, however, chased the smile from his face. "However, I don't think it would be wise for anyone on your team to know we are seeing each other." She finished nervously, staring up at him with those innocent eyes of her. He felt his heart drop – she didn't want anyone to know about them.

"Are you ashamed of being vith me, Hermione?" He asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her, but desperately needing to know why she didn't want others to know. He was having a hard time not shouting it from the rooftops while she was proposing to act like they were just friends at work.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!" She said fiercely as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her head in his chest for a moment, before looking back up at him. "I promise it is nothing like that." He was still a little upset but it made him feel better knowing she wasn't ashamed of their relationship. He was still curious, however, about what it was that-

"I know your last mediwitch wasn't very good, and I don't want your teammates to think I only got the job because we are together. It's not that I don't want them to _ever _know, just not at first." She said quickly, still keeping her arms tight around him. "Can you just give me a few weeks to prove myself first?"

The pleading tone in her voice was evident, and he couldn't stay upset with her. He knew her request was reasonable, and she was right about the previous mediwitch. He also knew that Hermione felt very passionate about her work, and it would destroy her if someone thought she had gotten the job on anything other than merit. His face softened into a smile, and she reached up to kiss his lips in response. Even though his heart felt better seeing her smile, he had a sneaking suspicion he was going to regret his decision.

The next morning, Viktor arrived to practice twenty minutes early. He had always loved practicing, but he couldn't recall ever looking forward to practice as much as he did today. He loved flying, and he always would, but nothing was as exhilarating as being near Hermione. He was determined to honor her wishes about keeping their relationship secret at work, but he still planned on arranging a secret rendezvous now and then.

After dressing for practice, he had entered the Quidditch Pitch to find several players making their way on the field. Coach Alekseyev was an extremely punctual man, and more than one player had been kicked off the team for repeatedly arriving late. The players had quickly learned to arrive early if they wanted a chance to play. The practice started off fine, and everyone was working hard at the drills in preparation for the upcoming match against Manchester. Although he had gone through the drills without a hitch, his mind was still on Hermione. He wondered if she had found everything okay, if she was enjoying it, if she had met everyone-

The loud booming voice of his coach drew him out of his musings, and he headed over to the locker room where the other players were gathering. It was nearly lunchtime, and they were going to have a quick team meeting before breaking for lunch. The afternoon session was mainly just exercises to keep them in shape, while the morning session focused on Quidditch moves and strategies.

"Before you leave for lunch, I would like to introduce our new mediwitch. Miss Granger, if you will please join us?" Viktor felt his heart skip a beat as he saw Hermione appear in the doorway to the locker room. She walked over to his coach while giving everyone a shy smile. He was only slightly disappointed that she didn't glance his way.

When Sergei let out a low whistle, Viktor suddenly became aware that his team was comprised of all males, most of whom were currently unattached. He glanced around at his teammates, only to find them staring at Hermione in a way that made him want to growl. He felt the urge to wrap his arms around her and protect her from those stares, but he had foolishly promised her he wouldn't. When Petr, one of his _married _teammates, looked at Viktor and wiggled his eyebrows towards Hermione, he knew he was _definitely _going to regret his decision.

Hermione's POV

She didn't think her first day could have gone any better than it did. The Vrasta coach was every bit the gentleman, and he showed her the entire facility, including the apparition quarters, the locker room, and her private office. In addition to her office, which was twice the size of the one in Manchester, she had her own private bathroom….every girl's dream.

She hadn't realized it at the time, but after she accepted the job she found out that Vrasta was an all-male team. While she was a little nervous at the prospect of being the only female around, she was thrilled with the level of privacy it afforded her. Igor also requested that she let him know if she needed anything else to go along with her current surroundings.

At lunchtime, she had met the team, and it had taken all her self-control not to look at Viktor the whole time. She could tell her was staring at her, and she desperately wanted to wink at him or do something besides ignore him. He said that he understood, but she wasn't sure he would be happy once she actually started her job. Luckily, the rest of the day passed without incident, and she was able to brew a few vials of her new pain potion. Two of the players had minor injuries from practice, and she was able to heal both of them easily.

She had invited Viktor over for dinner again tonight, and she was thrilled to see she had at least an hour before he showed up. Harry had promised to spend the night at The Burrow, so she was looking forward to a quiet evening alone with Viktor. She had decided on having what she and Harry termed a 'muggle night.' They were having pizza, and she had planned on watching a movie afterwards. Since Viktor was a pureblood, she wasn't entirely sure if he had ever had pizza, much less watched a muggle movie. She was hoping he would be pleasantly surprised.

Exactly one hour later, Hermione heard Viktor calling her name, and she stepped out from her bedroom to the living room where he was waiting. As usual, he looked incredible to her. She knew he wasn't handsome in the classic sense of the word, but the rugged planes on his face made his masculinity quite appealing. When she was a teenager, she had read some romance novels, and her favorite type of leading man was the tall, dark, and handsome type…and Viktor fit the mold perfectly.

As instructed, he was wearing an old pair of sweatpants and a Quidditch t-shirt. She wanted to spend an evening where they could relax and not worry about how they looked. Naturally, she _had _spent a little extra time picking out her clothes, but what he didn't know wouldn't kill him. She had finally chosen a black pair of yoga pants with a plain white tank top.

"Viktor!" she greeted him with a quick kiss on the lips. He was smiling at her, but she got the feeling that something wasn't right. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and his back was stiff. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, Hermione." he answered, trying to force his smile a little wider. She wasn't the least bit fooled.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to force it out of you?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips in true Molly Weasley fashion. There was clearly something wrong with him, and she was determined to find it out. She had been looking forward to spending time with him all day, and she didn't want to let anything ruin it.

Viktor let out a big sigh before sinking down on her couch. "I do not know if I can do this, Hermione. All my teammates talk about vas you, how beautiful you are, how they vant to…" His voice trailed off, and she could tell he was getting angry just thinking about it.

"Are you saying you don't want to be with me anymore?" She asked nervously, biting her lower lip.

"Vhat?" Viktor asked, jerking his head up to look at her. He immediately grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap. "I vant to be vith you more than anything. I just vant everyone to know that ve are together. I do not like men staring at you all day." He said, stroking her hair with his left hand. She felt her heart rate slow down when she realized he wasn't breaking off the relationship.

"Viktor, I'm so sorry." She said, putting her arms around his neck and nuzzling against him. "I promise it won't last long. It's just because I'm new. Two weeks from now, they won't even look at me." She really hadn't noticed anyone staring at her, outside of the initial meeting, but she wanted to make Viktor feel better. She was quickly coming to the realization that his happiness was a top priority for her.

"I think they vill alvays stare at you, Hermione. Men alvays stare at beautiful vomen." He responded, lifting her head up to place a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. "I just don't vant to lose you." She felt her heartstrings being tugged at when he said those words. She didn't want to lose him either, especially since it had happened before.

"When I first saw you a few nights ago, I was hoping we would become friends again." Hermione confessed. "But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized I wanted to be much more than that. Please trust me, Viktor, the last thing I want is to lose you, and I can promise you won't get rid of me easily."

His mood picked up considerably after that, and a few hours later they were snuggled on the couch in each other's arms. They had watched part of the movie, but they had also spent a considerable amount of time snogging as well. His arms felt so strong, it was as if no one could ever hurt her again. When he held her, all rational thought left her brain, and she was practically a slave to her more…basic desires.

Viktor had been nothing but a gentleman so far, but she was kind of hoping he would be a little more roguish in that area. Gryffindor or not, she wasn't sure she had enough courage to make a move on her own, but she wouldn't have minded him making a move. As the night came to a close, she wanted to ask him to stay with her, but she chickened out. She could almost hear Ginny's voice in her head, _Ask to him to stay, chicken!! Don't let him get away! What are you, a Hufflepuff? _


	17. Meet the Parents

He simply couldn't wait until the weekend. Not only was Hermione having lunch with him and his parents, but he would finally be able to get her away from the leers of his teammates as well. She had tried to assure him things would get better, and he had believed her at first. Now, he was _certain _she was wrong. He had hoped the novelty of having her as a mediwitch would wear off after a week, but it hadn't happened. Nearly every player was still trying to get her attention, and he was certain she had been asked out by more than one of them. She refused to tell him who had made a move on her, but she did at least assure him she had not said yes to anyone but him. That was a small consolation considering he had to watch as his friends made attempt after attempt to gain her interest.

Sergei was definitely the boldest in displaying his interest in her, but he wasn't alone by a long shot. More than one player had opted to go to her for healing when they normally would have refused treatment. The match against Manchester on Thursday had gone beautifully, with Vrasta winning by 300 points, but it seemed like every player needed her to heal them at least twice during the four-hour long match. It was getting more and more difficult to keep from yelling at them every time they ogled her.

As his parents arrived at his house on Saturday, Viktor felt the stress of the week disappearing. He was very close to his parents, especially his father, and he knew they would love Hermione. He and Hermione had spent every evening together, staying up late reading, talking, and on occasion, kissing. As much as he wanted to ask her to stay the night with him, he was determined to do things right this time. He was going to formally introduce her to his parents, tell her his feelings, and _then _ask her to stay with him.

While he couldn't regret making love to Hermione years ago, he had wished that the situation had been different. His parents were out of town when she had visited earlier, and war was looming on the horizon. Things had been a little rushed, and he had wanted a lot more than a month to be with her. Now that they were together again, he wanted to do the things that he hadn't been able to before, like finally admitting to her just how much he loved her.

The next few hours were pure bliss for Viktor. His mother and father had been very welcoming of Hermione, and he knew they were charmed by her. The only black mark on his day was that his older brother Alexei, sans his wife and kids, had made an appearance after lunch to see the young woman he had brought home. He loved his brother, but he was not the sort of man Viktor wanted around his girlfriend. As usual, Alexei couldn't help but tease him. "So, Viktor, how are things vith you and the beautiful Miss Granger?"

Viktor could hear the teasing tone in his voice, but he was still a little wary. Alexei would never make a move on Hermione since he was married, but he didn't want her to start making comparisons between him and his older brother. Viktor had taken after their father in physical appearance, while Alexei had inherited their mother's classical features. Hermione had told him earlier she found him handsome, but he knew he was nowhere near the Adonis that Alexei was. Viktor's talent was flying, and Alexei's was attracting beautiful women. "They are fine, Alexei. If I may ask, vhat are you doing here?"

He was aware that his question was bordering on rude, but Alexei simply laughed it off. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet the famous Hermione Granger. Besides, how often does my little brother bring home a girlfriend?"

Viktor grunted in reply, and wished his brother would just go away. He was tired of worrying about other men lurking around Hermione, even if it was his own flesh and blood. Not only was Alexei better looking than him, but his English was better, too. He had studied in London after graduating from Durmstrang, and Viktor bitterly noted that Alexei had had no trouble in pronouncing Hermione's name correctly.

His father must have seen the look on his face because he came to his rescue a few moments later. "Alexei, I believe your wife is vaiting for you at home, yes?" Alexei smirked in response before saying his goodbyes to everyone. Viktor shot him a glare when he kissed Hermione's hand, but she thankfully didn't seem to notice.

"I must say, Viktor, I am impressed vith your taste in vomen." His father, Ivan, noted as he sat down beside Viktor. Hermione and his mother were still in the kitchen talking, and he was pleased to hear sounds of feminine laughter coming from that direction.

Having his parents' approval wasn't absolutely necessary in his opinion, but it certainly helped matters. "Thank you, father. I vas hoping you vould approve."

"Of course, vhy vouldn't ve?" His father responded, his eyes twinkling. "She is very good for you, I can tell. Ekaterina is thrilled as well." Viktor felt a smile form on his face. His father _and _his mother approved, and they had only met Hermione a few hours ago. He was convinced more than ever that she was the only one for him.

"Ven are you going to ask her to move in vith you?" Viktor's eyebrows shot up at his father's words, and he turned to face the older man beside him.

"I-I do not…how did you…vhat?" Viktor stammered, feeling very much like his tongue had suddenly been glued to the roof of his mouth.

"Viktor, I see how you look at her, and I know you vant more than a girlfriend. No reason to drag your feet. She is very beautiful voman, and other men vill not vait." His father gave him a stern look for emphasis. Viktor was all too aware what other men would do, and it was slowly driving him crazy.

Before he could respond, his father slowly stood up and dropped an unexpected object into Viktor's lap. He stared up at his father with his mouth open, waiting for an explanation. "I haff seen you with her, and I think maybe you vill need this sooner than you think." He watched as his father headed into the kitchen without another word.

Hermione's POV

She was thrilled with how relaxed the dinner had been with his parents. His brother had made her a little nervous, but luckily he didn't stay long. All in all, the day had turned out much better than she hoped. Viktor had seemed a little out of sorts when his parents had left, but he returned to his normal self after a few minutes. She, on the other hand, was absolutely overjoyed at having survived the weekend, and she looked forward to another week with Viktor.

"I'm so sorry, Viktor, but I have to go now. I promised Ginny I'd meet her at my flat in about ten minutes." Hermione said, sighing contentedly as she wrapped her arms around Viktor's waist. She was almost as fond of his hugs as she was of his kisses.

"I vill miss you, loff." Viktor whispered into her hair.

_Did he just call me love? _"I will miss you, too, Viktor."

"Vill you join me for breakfast tomorrow?" He asked, tilting her head up to look at him. "I vant to spend the entire day vith just you. Ve vill do vhatever you vant. I vill spoil you tomorrow."

He had said the words with a smile on his face, but she knew he was serious about spoiling her. She had never put much stock in material possessions, but just the idea that he would willingly buy whatever her heart desired was so romantic. After they said goodnight to each other, followed by an amazing goodnight kiss, she returned to her flat to find the youngest Weasley anxiously awaiting her arrival. "Finally!" Ginny yelled, jumping up to give her a hug.

"How did it go today? I was halfway hoping you would blow me off and spend the night at Viktor's." Hermione threw a pillow at her friend, but it did nothing to deter the redhead. "Is he still moving too slow for you?"

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she _was _looking forward to speeding things up a bit. "Well…"

"Say no more!" Ginny declared, raising her hand to silence Hermione. "The banquet is one week from today, and I have already taken the liberty of purchasing a dress for you."

Hermione sat on the couch in shock as Ginny held up a gorgeous dark maroon sleeveless dress with what looked to be a plunging neckline and

a generous side split in the hem. As beautiful as the dress was, she couldn't see herself wearing it in public. Ginny must have read her mind because she immediately launched into attack mode. "Now, I know what you're thinking, but trust me, you will look fantastic. You said yourself you wanted to have a little fun, and it's about time you did. You are going to wear this, and you are going to like it!"

She almost laughed at Ginny's expression before sobering quickly. Could she really wear that dress? It was unbelievably beautiful, and no doubt had cost a bundle, but it was so…risqué. Then a little voice inside her head reminded her that Viktor would certainly appreciate certain aspects of the dress, and he would _have_ to make a move on her if she wore it…

"I'll wear it on one condition," Hermione said firmly, looking at Ginny in the eye. "I pay you back for the dress." She knew the Weasley family didn't have a lot of money, and she wasn't about to let Ginny buy _her _a dress when she probably had more money in her account than her parents did.

"Oh, I didn't buy it!" Ginny said airily, plopping down on the couch beside Hermione.

"If you didn't, then who did? I know that material is expensive, Ginny, so don't even think of lying to me!"

"I'm not lying!" Ginny exclaimed, placing her hand over her heart in mock hurt. "I can't believe you'd suggest such a thing! The dress was bought by your boyfriend, the illustrious Mr. Krum."

Hermione was about to reprimand Ginny again, but those last words stopped her. _Viktor _had bought the dress? "That doesn't make sense. If he paid for it, then why didn't he tell me? I just left his house five minutes ago, and he never mentioned it."

"Oh well, it's kind of a long story" she replied, giving Hermione her best smile. Once she realized it had no hope of working, she quickly continued, "I happened to bump into him a couple of days ago, and he sort of arranged for the owner of the boutique to bill him instead of you. Don't worry, he hasn't seen the dress yet."

Hermione had no doubt that Ginny had done a lot more than merely _bump _into Viktor accidentally. No doubt she had planned it out to an almost scary precision. She really had spent too much time with the twins during her formative years. "Hmm-mm, I see." Hermione glared at Ginny before softening, "I should wring your neck, you know, but I won't. I know your heart is in the right place, but you're worse than Harry and Ron put together sometimes!"

Ginny merely giggled at Hermione, and threw her arms around her in a friendly hug. "Did I mention I got accessories, too?" She said, with a distinctive twinkle reminiscent of Albus Dumbledore in her eyes.


	18. Problems at Work

The next day, Hermione immediately confronted Viktor about paying for her dress, and he pretended to be vaguely confused about the situation. He claimed Ginny had set something up, and he had merely played along. She knew it to be a complete lie, but she let it go. She was actually rather flattered that he had arranged to pay for her dress, even though she was determined to pay him back, regardless of the price.

Even more than Viktor's generosity, Ginny's eagerness to help had surprised her. Ginny had made no secret of her desire to see her and Ron get together, and she was expecting a lot more resistance from her about her relationship with Viktor. When she had asked her about it, Ginny simply replied that she wanted her to be happy regardless of who it was with. Hermione had nearly started crying at her friend's unexpectedly kind words. Harry had also given his blessing, and she felt relieved to know her two closest friends were happy for her.

Over the next week, she continued to spend most of her free time with Viktor, and for the most part, she enjoyed it, but there was this nagging little feeling that there was something he wasn't telling her…For the past few days, he had been much more distracted than usual, staring off into space for minutes at a time and muttering incoherencies to himself. Whenever she questioned him about it, he simply brushed it off, but it was starting to worry her ever so slightly. After days of frustration, she finally decided it must have something to do with the upcoming Quidditch match, and she pushed the thought from her mind.

It was now Thursday, only two days away from the banquet. Thanks to Ginny, Hermione had her entire outfit ready, including dress, shoes, and accessories, and she even managed to whip up a batch of hair potion as well. A knock on her office door drew Hermione out of her thoughts as she summoned in her visitors. Sergei and Viktor were standing in the doorway, both looking rather broken and beaten up. She immediately ordered them to lie down on the cots while she went about gathering the supplies she needed to heal them. She glanced nervously at Viktor a few times, but he was too busy glaring at Sergei to notice. "What exactly happened to you two?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing, loff. Just a little misunderstanding." Sergei replied, sending her a brilliant smile. She saw Viktor tense when he said 'loff', and she was starting to wonder if those injuries were from Quidditch or another matter entirely.

"I think you look a little worse, Sergei, so I'll start with you." She said, pushing his head back on the pillow. She noticed Viktor's face now had a slight smirk on it. _Definitely_ not_ Quidditch-related injuries_.

"Hermione, loff, vhy don't you come with me to the banquet on Saturday?" Sergei asked, giving her puppy dog eyes that would Sirius Black proud.

"Now is not the time to joke, Sergei, if you want me to heal you. I happen to know you already have a date for Saturday." She responded, knowing that Viktor was hanging onto their every word. She quietly muttered a few spells to take care of the small scratches on his arms and legs.

"I can break the date. She did not really vant to go, she vas only doing me a favor. I vould much rather take you instead. Besides," he added with a slight grin, "if you do not wish to heal me, I can think of better uses for your hands." She could hear Viktor moving around behind her, and she half-expected him to throttle Sergei. They were roughly the same height, but Sergei had a slightly larger build from years of playing Chaser. He reminded Hermione of Alexei, Viktor's brother, with his classic good looks. She almost hoped Viktor popped him in the mouth, just to see that pretty little smirk wiped off his face.

"Well, there's still a little problem, Sergei. _I _have a date for Saturday, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go with you." She chose not to dignify his last comment with a response and silently prayed he would attempt it again.

"Break it." He said bluntly, his words coming across more like a command than a request. By this time, Viktor was leaning so far out of his cot, she was surprised he hadn't fallen off yet.

"I don't think so," she replied coolly, applying a bandage to Sergei's damaged right shoulder. She only felt a small twinge of guilt when she pressed against the wound a little harder than was required, causing him to wince in pain.

"Vhy not? Is he your boyfriend?" Sergei asked, clearly not taking the hint. His question came out sounding sarcastic, and she got the impression he was baiting her or Viktor one.

She could see Viktor lean forward again out of the corner of her eye. "That is not really your business, but yes, he is." He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "Don't even think of asking who it is, you will find out Saturday night like everyone else." Having said her peace, she returned to her table to locate the healing potion for Viktor.

Sergei grumbled a bit before pushing himself up from the cot. "Thank you for the healing, Miss Granger." He said with a wink as he passed by her on his way to the door. Casting one last appraising glance at her, he said, "The offer is still open, loff. Just let me know if you change your mind."

As soon as he exited the room, she placed a locking and silencing charm on the door. She wheeled around to face Viktor, who was doing his best to look innocent. "Viktor, what happened with you two? Don't tell me it was Quidditch because I saw the looks you were giving him."

Viktor leaned back against his cot and sighed as he closed his eyes. "Hermione, I…I lost my temper again. Sergei vas talking about you." He said it simply, as if those two sentences explained everything in detail.

"He was just talking about me and you lost your temper over _that_?" Hermione couldn't believe he would get so upset about something that trivial. Technically, she and Sergei were co-workers, so it was natural for him to mention her name in a conversation. It certainly didn't warrant a brawl in the middle of a Quidditch practice.

She saw a flash of anger cross Viktor's face before he spoke. "You did not hear _vhat_ he said, Hermione. He said terrible things…about you. He said…" his voice trailed off, then he added in a low growl, "he said he vanted you to be with him in his bed."

Hermione stood in shock as she looked down at Viktor, who was clenching his fists in anger, his eyes still closed. His face was flushed, and his brow was furrowed. She could almost feel the tension radiating from him, and she leaned down to place a light kiss on his lips. His eyes flew open, and he looked at her with an expression of wonder on his face. "You are not mad at me, Hermione?"

She sighed in response as she sat down beside him on the cot. "I can't say I'm happy with you fighting, but I know _why _you did it." She gave him another light kiss, and his face softened ever so slightly. "It doesn't matter what he says, Viktor, because I am with you. He will find out soon enough, but you mustn't let him bother you. I don't want you to get into trouble over a giant prat like that."

Viktor was quiet for a moment before responding. "Do you find Sergei… handsome?" Hermione simply stared at him, trying to figure out why in the world he was asking her that. He seemed to take her silence as an affirmative, and his lips curled into a scowl. "I thought so. Handsome man vants to be vith my girlfriend, and I fear that maybe you feel the same."

"No!" she responded fiercely, placing her hands on either side of Viktor's face. "Look at me, Viktor. I do _not _find Sergei attractive, and I wouldn't be with him even if we weren't together. He's too…pretty." Viktor raised an eyebrow questioningly at her, but his scowl lessened…a little. "Well, he's kind of…he reminds me of your brother, Alexei." She saw Viktor's scowl deepen again at the mention of his brother's name. "They are too pretty, almost like girls in my mind." She watched as Viktor fought to keep a smile from forming on his face. She was glad she hadn't offended him by speaking of his brother that way because he had honestly given her the creeps.

Taking a deep breath, she moved a little closer to him on the cot. "I like masculine men, handsome men with rugged features, men with strong arms to make me feel safe and the most mesmerizing eyes I have ever seen." She was leaning close throughout her speech, and she pressed her lips to his in what quickly became a hungry kiss. When she felt him kissing her back, she immediately slipped her arms around his broad chest. Silently thanking the stars that she had already placed the appropriate charms on her office, she lost herself in his arms.


	19. Almost Caught

He couldn't seem to get Sergei's taunting words out of his head….that is, until Hermione kissed him. Her soft lips had captured his, but it wasn't the gentle, sweet kisses he was used to. This kiss was passionate, with an underlying heat he hadn't expected. He was debating whether or not to slide in his tongue when he felt hers running across his lips. He opened to accommodate her, and soon found himself pulling her closer to him, desperate to be nearer to her.

She moaned in response, and willingly pressed her body next to his. He could feel her soft breasts against his chest, and he couldn't stop himself from running his hands underneath her shirt. He expected she would pull away and scold him, but she pressed her hips lightly into his instead. The sudden contact with that sensitive part of him made him gasp in surprise. All previous thoughts of being a gentleman disappeared, only to be replaced with thoughts that would cause even _Sergei_ to blush.

Viktor left her mouth, only to continue placing hungry kisses on her jaw and neck. The throaty little moans she gave in response were enough to make him lose any semblance of control. He quickly reached up and began unbuttoning her blouse, and was surprised to find her doing the same to him. Little by little, he pushed the blouse from her shoulders, watching in awe as her creamy skin became exposed to him. He kissed her slowly, almost reverently, cautiously moving his hands up to caress her breasts. He was terrified of making a wrong move, but she was so beautiful he couldn't help himself.

She suddenly pulled back from the kiss a little, and Viktor's heart sunk. He had moved too fast, and in the middle of her office, no less! He went to drop his head, ashamed of his rash behavior, when he felt her hand snake down his chest. When he glanced up quickly at her, he found a small smile playing on her lips as she reached for his sash on his uniform. "Oh, Herm-io-nee," he breathed, nearly too far gone to realize he had mispronounced her name again. She had untied his sash, and was reaching up to undo the clasp on her bra when she suddenly scrambled off the cot, nearly knocking it over.

"Vhat…" Viktor's voice trailed off as he watched her search frantically for her blouse. "I am sorry, Hermione, I shouldn't have…" his heart was beating wildly, and his mind was still clouded with lust. If he had ruined things today, he would never forgive himself.

"Viktor!" Hermione hissed, "get dressed! Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear vhat?" he asked. He hadn't heard anything, but then again, he probably wouldn't have heard an entire Quidditch stadium full of fans when they were kissing.

"Someone's coming! Please, I'm begging you, get up!" Hermione whispered, looking at him with a desperate face. He immediately jumped up and began straightening his clothes. Sure enough, just a few seconds later there was a knock at the front door of her office.

"Miss Granger?" a voice inquired. "Are you in there?"

"Yes, just give me one moment and I'll be right out." She had rearranged her clothes, but there was still a lovely flush on her face from their early activity. She quickly muttered a spell under her breath, then went to straighten her hair.

"Vhat spell was that?" Viktor questioned, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Hermione gave him a sly smile before grabbing his arm to lead him to the side door of her office. "It was a cooling spell, Mr. Krum. And the next time you come into my office, I think we need to be sure we have enough time to finish what we started." She smirked a little when she said this, and Viktor couldn't help but wink at her.

"So you are not upset vith me for…_that_?" He said, referring to their somewhat spontaneous snogging session.

"How could I be? I'm pretty sure I was enjoying it every bit as much as you were." She gave him another brilliant smile, and Viktor felt like he had just won the World Cup. He hadn't moved too fast after all, but he knew it would be wise to exercise a little more caution in her office next time. "Now, get out of here before they figure out I've been doing more than healing you."

She hustled him out the exit, but he gave her one last searing kiss before she could close the door. As he slipped out into the side hallway, he heard his friend Nikolai asking Hermione if she would save a dance for him at the banquet. Viktor scowled as he stalked off to the locker room, thinking Saturday could not come soon enough.

The next two days passed quickly, and the day of the banquet was finally upon him. _Nervous _was not the word to sufficiently explain how he felt. He was so far beyond nervous that it would be an injustice to describe his feelings that way. In less than 3 hours, he would be attending the banquet with Hermione…_as her boyfriend. _He felt the word _boyfriend _was every bit as inadequate as _nervous _was, but he couldn't technically call her his lover…yet.

He had invited Hermione and Ginny to get ready at his house, claiming they would have more room to dress for the banquet. He realized it was a lame excuse to have her near him, but he was nonetheless thrilled when they accepted. If things went according to plan, and Ginny had assured him they would, Hermione would be staying the night with him.

He had been surprised at first when Ginny had sent him an owl early last week. With her being Ron Weasley's sister, he had assumed she would be angry with him for dating Hermione, but he couldn't have been more wrong. She hadn't wasted time on formalities, choosing instead to skip directly to her proposal to help him win Hermione. While her letter might have angered some men, Viktor pushed aside his pride and eagerly accepted her offer. He had waited seven years to be with her again, and he would gladly take all the help he could get. Besides, Ginny had some surprisingly useful tips that he had taken advantage of.

One such tip was the color of Hermione's dress, which he hoped would prove helpful in signaling other men to stay away from his date. He knew his teammates, amongst others, would be itching to dance with her, and he wanted them to know she was taken….If he was honest with himself, Viktor wasn't entirely sure she _was_ taken. He was most certainly taken with _her_, but he still felt like she was going to finally realize she was too good for _him._

He stared at himself in the mirror, turning first left then right, to view his body from different angles. Quidditch had certainly helped out his body, but tonight there would literally be hundreds of men with the same toned physique, most of whom were more handsome than he. Hermione had repeatedly told him how handsome he was, but after a thorough inspection of himself, he failed to see it. He knew his nose was slightly crooked, which was an unfortunate result of a well-aimed Bludger, and his eyebrows were a bit bushy in his mind. He wasn't _un_attractive, but he didn't view himself as _attractive _either….just sort of _average_.

Hermione, on the other hand, was the very essence of beauty. With her beautiful eyes, flawless skin, soft lips, silky hair…he could go on for hours if he let himself. She had no idea just how beautiful she was, even though it was obvious to everyone else. That was part of the problem with her being around players all day – she was completely oblivious to how men looked at her. Viktor recognized the subtle, and not so subtle, hints that some of his teammates had dropped over the past few days. When he tried to point them out to her, she insisted they were merely joking around.

Viktor sighed in frustration as he glanced in the mirror again. Satisfied that he looked as respectable as he could, he headed downstairs to wait for the girls. Harry, who was escorting Ginny to the banquet, would be arriving any minute according to the owl he had sent. As Viktor fixed himself a cup of tea in the kitchen, he heard Harry arrive with a loud 'pop'. Viktor quickly grabbed another cup for Harry and headed towards the table to greet his visitor.

The past two weeks, Viktor and Harry had become closer than he had ever thought possible. When he had met him during the TriWizard Tournament, he had immediately classified Harry as the competition, for the tournament as well as Hermione. He had gotten along with him much better than Ron, but he was still a little wary around him. When Viktor started spending so much time with Hermione last week, he was pleasantly surprised to find her flat mate to be delightful company.

"So, mate, I'm guessing the girls still getting ready?" Harry asked, sending Viktor a sly grin.

"Of course. It is not late yet, so they cannot be ready." Viktor answered, returning the smile as he handed him the cup of tea. They sat and talked companionably for a few minutes about the upcoming Quidditch playoffs. Harry's team unfortunately wasn't going to make the finals, but Viktor assured him they would continue to improve next year. They were a young team, and they would be formidable once the rest of the team caught up with Harry.

"Viktor," Harry asked hesitantly, clearly struggling with his words, "do you love Hermione?"

Viktor felt his face flush a little at the question. He did, of course, love Hermione, but he certainly didn't expect to be asked about it. "Yes, I do, Harry. Hermione is my life."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he sat his cup down. "I was hoping you would say that. I love Hermione, in a friendly way of course," he hastily added when he saw the sharp glance Viktor gave him, "and I wanted to be sure you felt for her what she feels for you."

Viktor blinked in surprise. "I haff not told her yet. Did Hermione tell you she loves me?" He knew the question should be directed at Hermione herself instead of Harry, but since Harry was here…._and you're a coward, _a voice inside his head reminded him.

"Something along those lines," Harry said with a lopsided grin. "I wonder if it would be okay for Hermione to stay here tonight. Ginny wanted a little privacy, so we were hoping you wouldn't mind. You don't mind, do you?" He sent him a knowing smile, which Viktor returned.

"It vould be my pleasure," Viktor responded, straining to keep from laughing at the implied double meaning of his words.


	20. The Banquet Begins

Hermione's POV

She looked at herself in the mirror, still unsure what Viktor saw in her. She knew she had grown up since her fourth year, and she considered herself moderately attractive in a understated sort of way. She wasn't flashy like Lavender or even exotic looking like Parvati – she was just plain, old Hermione. He had his pick of literally _any_ woman in the wizarding world, so why pick her when it was obvious to everyone she wasn't beautiful? Come to think of it, she had never really checked his eyesight. Maybe years of straining to see the Snitch had somehow ruined his vision…

Viktor, of course, was the epitome of 'ruggedly handsome', and it was no wonder that females of every age flocked to him. Besides his obvious physical traits, he exuded an air of gentility that she found irresistible. He was undoubtedly a man of honor, and he had made it plain that he would protect her no matter what. After the war, she realized just how important it was to find someone she could trust. Not only did she trust him explicitly with her physical well-being, but more importantly, she trusted him with her heart. Naturally, him being easy on the eyes wasn't a drawback, with his broad shoulders, strong arms, dark eyes….

Before she could get too carried away with her daydream, Ginny began pestering her _again. _She was grateful for the redhead's help, knowing she would be lost without it, but Ginny was dangerously close to crossing the line. She was like a bulldozer, completely running over any objections Hermione had to her outfit. When Hermione had suggested pulling up the neckline a mere inch or two, Ginny had immediately dismissed the idea as ridiculous. When she requested to do her own makeup, her friend had again shot down the idea. Closing her eyes with a sigh, Hermione relinquished herself to the fact that she was at the mercy of Ginny Weasley, apparent matchmaker extraordinaire.

She had almost casually mentioned to Hermione that she would need to stay with Viktor tonight since Harry had requested a little privacy for the two of them at their flat. Ginny assured her that Viktor was fine with it, and she had already packed an overnight bag for Hermione. She wasn't exactly thrilled at the painfully obvious ploy to throw her and Viktor together, but her excitement returned when Ginny let it slip that she had set up Ron with Lavender Brown again.

Knowing that there might now be one less obstacle to face with her and Viktor's relationship relaxed her nerves a little bit, and she started to actually enjoy Ginny's _assistance. _After half a bottle of hair potion and several broken brushes later, Ginny held up a mirror for Hermione to see the finished product. She gasped in surprise, hardly able to believe it was her own reflection staring back at her. Her once-frizzy hair was now tamed perfectly into cascading curls that she had pulled back from her face. Ginny had insisted she pull her hair up a little at least to show off her back, and Hermione had finally relented after the girl had threatened to turn her hair a shade of pink that would make Tonks envious.

With her hair and makeup in place, Hermione slipped on her dress, feeling once again that she was revealing a little too much. After a few more minutes of reassurance by Ginny, they were ready to go. Ginny had chosen a beautiful white dress made of satiny material that clung to her slender build. She could almost see how Ginny would look on her wedding day…

"Speaking of relationships, Ginny, how are things with you and Harry? Are we going to hear wedding bells anytime soon?" Hermione asked, grinning at her as she flushed the color of her hair. _Gods, it's nice to turn the tables on her every now and then! _

"We'll see. I don't know yet, but I'm so much in love with him that I would gladly wait forever for him to ask." Ginny responded, getting a dreamy look on her face. A month ago, she would have poked fun at her friend, but now she recognized the look all too well – it was the same look she had had on her face for the past two weeks. No doubt about it, Hermione Granger was hopelessly in love with one Viktor Krum.

Harry's POV

He snuck a glance over at Viktor who was currently twisting his linen handkerchief in his hands. It was obvious to anyone the poor bloke was over the moon for Hermione…so much, in fact, Harry almost suspected Viktor was planning on making his relationship with her a little more permanent. Unlike his girlfriend, however, he decided to keep his mouth shut about his suspicions.

Hearing footsteps in the hall, Harry and Viktor immediately stood up, smoothing out any wrinkles in their robes. Harry noted Viktor had on dark brown dress robes lined in green, which would complement Hermione's dress perfectly. Ginny had luckily chosen a white dress, so Harry was free to wear whatever shade suited him, which ended up being a dark red. _Can't seem to give up being a Gryffindor. _

A few moments later, Ginny waltzed through the kitchen door, with Hermione close behind her. He looked at the love of his life, heavenly in her white dress. Seeing her in that white dress, he couldn't help but fantasize about how she would look at their wedding. He was fairly certain she would say yes, her parents would be thrilled with it, and he had even gone so far to purchase a ring, _sooooo_…all that was left was for him to suddenly acquire the courage to ask her. Even with the Gryffindor-colored robes, he felt more like a mouse than a lion.

He went to wrap his arms around Ginny when he caught sight of Hermione. Ginny was beautiful, no doubt about it, but Hermione simply looked…breathtaking. He felt guilty for ogling her right in front of Ginny, but his date seemed to find it humorous rather than offensive. Ginny's dress, while flattering to her figure, was ankle-length and very modest, especially for Ginny who possessed a rather unorthodox sense of style. Hermione's dress, on the other hand, was designed to make a man's heart pound.

As he hugged a quietly giggling Ginny, he glanced over to Viktor and Hermione, who were now intertwined in a passionate embrace. Viktor was muttering something in Bulgarian, and it must have been somewhat flattering since Hermione's face was nearly crimson. He leaned down slowly for what Harry assumed would be an innocent little kiss, but it turned intense rather quickly. They seemed to forget that Harry and Ginny were in the room, and he suddenly felt like a voyeur.

"Let's get moving you two. I didn't help Hermione with her makeup for you to kiss it all off before the ball! Plenty of time for that later." Ginny said, grinning from ear to ear. He cringed at his girlfriend's bluntness, while the happy couple merely blushed in response.

Viktor's POV

Viktor had pinched himself no less than three times during the past ten minutes. _It must be a dream, it must be a dream. _He just couldn't believe that the beautiful creature in front of him was _his. _He had always lived somewhat of a charmed life, having never wanted for anything, including supportive parents, money, a career… The only thing that had escaped him thus far was love. Now, standing next to Hermione, he felt like that piece of his life was now perfect…and he had gotten a lot more than he deserved.

When he first saw her in that dress, he nearly suggested skipping the banquet altogether. After all, he was sure he could think of plenty of other things to occupy their time with besides some ridiculous gala. He had hinted around at it when he had given Hermione a hug, but she only laughed at his suggestion, probably assuming, incorrectly of course, that he was merely teasing. While dancing with Hermione would be lovely, taking her to his bedroom held a lot more appeal to him. The upside was that after tonight, he and Hermione could finally be open about their relationship at work. The past two weeks had been pure hell for him, and he couldn't handle spending one more moment listening to his teammates fawn over Hermione.

Viktor glanced over at Hermione when he heard her let out a shaky breath. They were just outside the main entrance to the banquet, and he could tell she was getting nervous. A good dose of Veritaserum would have had him confessing he was more nervous than she was. If tonight went well, he was planning on admitting his feelings to Hermione. Just thinking about it was enough to make him hyperventilate, so he quickly pushed the thought aside and led her through the door.

He had long grown accustomed to receiving stares when he entered the room, a regrettable result of playing Quidditch on the international stage. He was fully prepared for a few stares when they walked into the banquet hall, but he wasn't expecting a collective gasp to ripple through the crowd as soon as they entered. Even with his _celebrity _status, he was almost positive the stares were directed at the incredible woman on his arm. Hermione was positively radiant, and Viktor had no doubt he was the envy of every man in the room.

The only person who didn't seem the least bit surprised by their arrival together was his coach, Igor Alekseyev. _Did he figure it out? _Besides the incident in Hermione's office on Thursday, they had been very good at keeping their distance in front of others. "I think maybe Coach Alekseyev already knew about us," Viktor murmured, just a little nervous about how his coach would react to their relationship.

"Well, actually I've already spoken with Igor about us, and he has no objections. As a matter of fact, we have his blessing." Hermione said with a twinkle in her eyes. He stared at her, dumbfounded at her craftiness. "Vhen did you speak vith him? I had no idea you vere so sneaky."

She merely laughed at his teasing tone and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. Luckily, the wizarding band that was hired was playing a slow tune, and he pulled her flush with his chest, wrapping an arm around her waist. He didn't take his eyes off her, but he could still tell they were garnering more than their share of attention on the dance floor. It wouldn't have surprised him if someone had attempted to cut in, but luckily they weren't disturbed.

He quickly realized that having Hermione's petite body pressed against his was not the best idea in public. His pants were getting increasingly uncomfortable, and he couldn't very well adjust himself right there on the dance floor. Leaning down, he whispered to his lovely date, "I think ve should sit down for a moment."

She raised her head to look into his eyes, a worried look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"No," he replied tightly as the last notes of the song were played. "You are too beautiful, Hermione, and it appears you haff created problem for me."

Her smooth brow was suddenly furrowed in thought. She shot him a puzzled look, and he glanced down quickly at his trousers, hoping she would pick up on the hint. It was humiliating enough to have it happen, but he certainly didn't relish the thought of saying it out loud for Hermione to hear. "Oh!" she said suddenly, blushing prettily. "I-I am so sorry, Viktor. I didn't realize…"

It made him feel a _little_ better knowing that she was blushing, too. The situation would have actually been funny to him if he wasn't the one with a telltale bulge in his pants, but his embarrassment overshadowed the humor at the moment. Hermione gratefully stepped directly in front of him, and led the way to their table. He walked slowly behind her, careful to keep as close as possible to his shield. As they headed off the dance floor, he could have sworn he heard her mutter, "So _that's_ what that was…", but he thought he must have imagined it. When they reached the table, he pulled the chair out for her, and she gracefully sat down. He heard her clear her throat a few times, and when he looked over at her, it was obvious she was trying to keep from laughing. "Are you laffing at me, loff?" Viktor asked, his lips twitching slightly. Part of him was even more embarrassed that she found it funny, but he couldn't deny it _was_ rather amusing.

Hermione covered her mouth as a giggle escaped. "I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me, Viktor. It's actually quite flattering in a way."

"It is okay," Viktor replied with a wave of his hand. "I vill punish you for it later." _Did he just say that out loud?_ He nearly groaned at his words. If his body's earlier reaction didn't scare her away, he was pretty sure that last comment would. Two weeks ago, he could barely get the courage to kiss her, and now he was saying _that? _He wondered briefly if Harry had slipped some firewhiskey in his tea earlier.

Instead of being upset, Hermione looked almost…_intrigued? _Her eyes had initially widened at his words, but there was now a small smile on those soft lips of hers. "I look forward to it," she said, rising to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll go get us some drinks."

He watched, mouth hanging open, as she walked to the table with a seductive sway in her hips. A few feet away from the drink table, she glanced back over her shoulder and gave him a saucy wink. She was taunting him, tempting him to lose control, and he was all too happy to give in. He knew he couldn't follow her in his present _condition, _but he suddenly became a lot more optimistic about the next twenty-four hours.


	21. Confession

Hermione's POV

The banquet hall looked absolutely lovely, with decorations and banners representing all the teams in the IQL. She had been afraid it would be a stuffy, boring party, but it had turned out to be quite the social event. Harry and Ginny were there, of course, which assured that she was never bored. She had already danced with Viktor several times, and he seemed even more graceful than he did years ago, despite his _problem _earlier in the evening._…_

She and Harry had wisely decided not to dance together at the banquet, even though Ginny said she had no objections. Rita Skeeter was bound to be hiding somewhere, and they weren't about to give her any more fodder for her gossip column. Half of what she wrote was fabricated, and they were both aware that even an innocent dance between friends would end up being a torrid affair between star-crossed lovers if Rita had her way.

The night was more than halfway over, and Hermione was surprised at how well things had gone. When they had entered the hall, she had caught sight of the Vrasta teammates on her right. Nikolai was grinning from ear to ear, while Sergei looked like he had just swallowed a rotten prune. A few of the players were nudging Sergei, obviously teasing him about her and Viktor. She wasn't silly enough to think that Sergei honestly liked her – he was probably just upset that he had hurt his pride, not to mention his pocketbook, because she hadn't accepted his invitation. If she didn't know better, she would almost swear _Sergei_ was Alexei Krum's brother instead of Viktor.

She glanced across the table at Viktor, who was talking animatedly with Harry. She had been pleasantly surprised to see how well the two of them hit it off. Harry, like Ginny, had held out hopes for her and Ron at one point, but he seemed to be perfectly fine with her dating Viktor. Even if they hadn't approved, Hermione knew she wouldn't have given up Viktor…he just meant too much to her now.

He must have felt his gaze on her, because he suddenly caught her eye and gave her a wink. She smiled in response, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She felt like she had spent most of the night blushing, either from Viktor's comments or from unwanted leers of others. She blamed it on her dress, which was just barely covering the bare essentials in her opinion. She was pleased to note, however, that Viktor's dress robes matched her dress perfectly. It was probably Ginny's doing, but she was happy nonetheless – he looked so incredibly handsome tonight, she wouldn't have minded skipping the banquet altogether.

Viktor and Harry were still discussing another Quidditch strategy, so she was naturally tuning them out. She may have to heal players for a living, but she couldn't care less about what they did to get themselves injured. When Nikolai approached her and shyly asked her for a dance, she glanced over at Viktor, who nodded to her with a smile. She accepted Nikolai's invitation, and he led her out to the dance floor.

The song had a fast-paced tempo, so she didn't have to worry about getting too close to her partner. He turned out to be the perfect gentleman, and she readily agreed to a second dance later on in the evening. After Nikolai, it seemed like every Vrasta player, and a few Manchester ones, asked her to dance. She still made sure she came back to Viktor after two or three dances – she didn't want anyone, especially Sergei, to get the wrong impression. Still, she was on the dance floor for nearly every song, and her feet were starting to tire. Dancing was one of her favorite hobbies, but after an hour, her feet were begging for a breather.

After giving her a quick kiss on the lips, Viktor moved a little ways over to speak with the President of the IQL. Finding herself blissfully alone at the moment, she closed her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. Her eyes flew open a moment later when she felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulders. Looking up, she saw the striking face of none other than Sergei. "Might I sit down vith you, Miss Granger?" He asked with a slight bow.

"Of course, Sergei, if it means you take your hands off me." She replied composedly, thanking the gods that Viktor's back was turned to them at the moment. If he saw Sergei touch her in such a familiar way, there was no predicting what kind of scene he might make.

"Now, now, Hermione, don't you vorry. I saw Viktor escort you here tonight. I know vhen I haff lost." He said in a patronizing tone. She wanted nothing more than to throw her drink in his face, but it would probably only encourage the ignorant prat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in a competition. What exactly were you trying to win?"

"A date with you, loff." He answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"As you can see, that will _not _be happening. I am quite happy with Viktor." She said it firmly, hoping he would take the hint to leave. The evening had gone so well, she didn't want him causing trouble when she was in the homestretch.

"Yes, yes, of course, my dear. I understand completely." He responded with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You already haff date, but surely you vill not deny me a dance?"

His question caught her off guard slightly since she had been expecting some sort of rude remark about Viktor. Shaking her head, she replied, "I don't think that would be a very good idea, Sergei. I'm quite tired, and-"

"Nonsense, ve shall dance." He quickly rose and pulled her hand towards the dance floor. She looked around for Viktor, but he didn't seem to be anywhere around. She pulled back slightly from his hand, but he simply tightened his grip. "You do not vant to make a scene in front of everyone, Miss Granger. I just ask for one dance, that is all. You haff danced vith everyone but me."

He tried to give her that hang-dog expression again, but she rolled her eyes in response. "Fine, one dance, Sergei. And just so you know, I'm only doing this so you will leave me alone. Those eyes don't work on me," she sniffed as she walked towards the floor.

Just her luck, the band was playing a slower song, so she ended up having to be closer to Sergei than she liked. He did, however, manage to keep his hands to himself, for the most part. There were a few mishaps were his hand would _accidentally _brush against her, but she kept her mouth shut. The owner of the Vrasta team was dancing with his wife a mere ten feet away from them, so she decided it wouldn't be the best time to throw a fit.

The dance _finally _ended, and Hermione immediately turned to head towards her table. Sergei was apparently expecting this, and he promptly captured her wrists in his before she could get away. _Damn those Quidditch reflexes! _"I just vanted to thank you properly for the dance, Hermione." He leaned in quickly for a kiss, and she barely had time to move her head to the left so his lips landed on her cheek instead of her mouth.

Her cheeks flushing with anger, she opened her mouth to reprimand him for his unwanted actions when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Thinking it was Viktor, she quickly turned around to find Nikolai staring at her intently. "Oh, Nikolai, it's you." She said, not able to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Yes, Miss Granger, it is I." He responded, giving her a slight smile. "I think perhaps you vish for Viktor instead? If so, he asked me to tell you that he is vaiting for you on first balcony." He nodded his head towards the set of doors on the far wall. "He said he vould like a vord vith you."

Hermione didn't glance back at she practically ran to the balcony door. _Why would Viktor ask me to meet him out here? Why didn't he come get me himself? _She had a thousand questions running through her mind, and she sincerely hoped Viktor would be able to answer them. She was a little worried that he had sent Nikolai to find her instead of coming himself. Nikolai was one of his good friends, but it still didn't make sense to her.

When she walked through the doors, she saw Viktor standing on the balcony, looking up at the night sky. He looked positively divine with the moonlight shining on his face. It was nearly a full moon, and Hermione couldn't help but think of Remus Lupin, her one-time professor and friend. She met him during her third year, and she had always harbored a bit of a schoolgirl crush on the attractive werewolf. But compared to her Viktor, Remus looked like Barty Crouch.

She cleared her throat to alert him of her presence, and he instantly turned around to face her. His eyes were so dark and intense, and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. It was obvious he was upset, and she prayed she hadn't been the cause of it. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

His eyes softened at her question, and he closed the distance between them to envelop her in his arms. She sighed in contentment against his chest, and wrapped his arms around his neck. It seemed like it had been days since she had been in his arms when it had only been a few hours. "I did not come get you because I could not stand to see you vith Sergei. I-I do not like vatching you in the arms of other men," he whispered, his voice muffled by her hair.

"I didn't realize it bothered you so much. I wouldn't have danced with them if I had known," she responded as she pulled back from his embrace.

He shook his head at her words before replying, "No, it vould not be fair. I am just a jealous old fool."

He sounded so sad, Hermione felt like she would do anything just to see him smile again. He had been fine earlier in the evening, and she wished they hadn't stayed so late. "You are not a fool, Viktor. You are a wonderful man, and I am incredibly lucky to have you." She kept her voice loving but firm. She needed him to understand he was the only man she wanted.

"I am lucky one, loff." Viktor said, the corner of his lips quirking upwards slightly.

"Is that a smile I see?" Hermione inquired, rewarded a ghost of a smile on his lips. "What ever can I do to make you smile again?" she asked in a flirtatious tone. _Thank you, Lavender Brown. _It appeared her tips were coming in handy after all.

Viktor seemed to ponder the question for a moment before responding, "Perhaps a kiss might help?"

She grinned in response and slowly went up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his lips. When he didn't pull back, she pressed her lips to his once more, deepening it ever so slightly. A few moments later, he pulled away, leaving her slightly disappointed at the loss of contact. "I need to tell you something, Hermione, and I do not know if you vill like it."

She blinked in surprise at his solemn tone. She thought he had only been a little upset about her dancing with his teammates, but this sounded much more serious than a few harmless dances. "You know you can tell me anything, Viktor." She was glad her voice sounded strong because she was shaking a little on the inside. Surely, he wasn't breaking up with her…_No, Viktor wouldn't do that…would he? _

He squeezed her hand once more before pulling his hand away from hers completely. He started pacing back and forth across the balcony, causing her to conjure up images of a wolf in a cage. He finally turned to look at her, his eyes a little wild and his voice almost pleading. "I vaited years, thinking I vould find someone else, but it did not happen. I saw you again, and I knew I could not move on vithout you."

He continued his pacing for a few more moments before breaking the silence again. "Ve vere together, and I vas happy but day after day, I see men falling in love vith you, men vho are better for you than I am." She went to protest, but he held his hand up to silence her. His words were coming faster now, and she was getting more and more worried where he was going with this. "I do not deserve you, but I cannot keep denying how I feel."

Hermione glanced up at him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. "How do you feel, Viktor?" she whispered, barely able to form the words.

"Hermione, please do not hate me," he paused, reaching out for her hand, "but I loff you." Without giving her a chance to respond, he crushed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. He wrapped his arms wrapped possessively around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Her mind barely had time to register his words before all thoughts were erased by the heat of his kiss. She only pulled back when she felt her body screaming for air.


	22. Unwelcome Guest

His body was protesting at the lack of oxygen, but he didn't want to pull away from the kiss yet. Part of it was because he was enjoying it, but the other part was that he was deathly afraid she would reject him. He figured that if she wasn't speaking, then that meant she couldn't be yelling at him. It was irrational, he knew, but cowardice can lead a man to do strange things. She finally pulled back, however, and he looked anxiously at her face, flushed by the impassioned kiss they had just shared. "I love you, too," she gasped between breaths, still holding onto his arm to steady herself.

"Vhat?" Viktor asked, peering into her face, searching for some sort of evidence of her true feelings.

"I love you, too, Viktor." She repeated, her voice stronger this time.

"You…you loff me?" he asked stupidly.

"Yes! How many times are you going to make me say it?" Hermione huffed exasperatedly.

"I am sorry, Hermione, I just dreamed of it so many times, I vant to be sure it is real." Viktor, brushing back a loose strand of hair from her face. He watched as the irritation on her face melted away and she smiled, burying her face in his chest. His arms snaked their way around her waist, and he just held her tight, relishing in the warmth of her body next to his.

A sudden flash to their right had Viktor drawing his wand and moving protectively in front of Hermione. He knew the banquet was well-guarded, but one could never be too careful, even with Voldemort gone. He could still hear the echo of the words of Mad-Eye Moody, an Auror Viktor had gotten to know over the past few years, _constant vigilance! _

He turned, seeing the offending source of the flash. It wasn't a Death Eater, but it was just a small step down in his opinion. The flash was courtesy of the infamous Rita Skeeter, queen of the gossip column. "Oh darlings! I didn't mean to interrupt. It appears we have a rekindled romance, eh?" She said with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Viktor felt his muscles clench at the sight of the woman. Her goal in life seemed to be causing trouble for other witches and wizards, and he wanted as little to do with her as possible. "You may go now, Miss Skeeter. You are not velcome here." He gave her his best glare, hoping it would deter her, but it didn't appear to faze her in the least.

"It appears you still have a thing for Quidditch players, Hermione. Does Harry know about this?" she asked, her melodious voice at odds with the pure venom that undoubtedly ran through her veins.

"Just one Quidditch player, Rita, and I believe he's already asked you to leave." Hermione responded evenly, holding her head up high. Viktor was proud she was controlling her temper for the moment, but he wasn't sure how long that would last. He cautiously placed his arm around her waist and drew her closer to his side.

"Ah, I see. You've decided to throw your hat in the ring for a Krum…or should I say, the _Krum brothers," _Rita said_. Krum brothers, _Viktor thought to himself. What did Alexei have to do with this? Before he could contemplate an answer, he felt Hermione move. Rita was attempting to say something else, but Hermione was beside her in a flash with a wand at her throat.

"I would very much appreciate it if you would leave now. You don't know what you are talking about." Hermione said through gritted teeth. Viktor felt like he should pull her away from the _journalist, _but he rather enjoyed seeing his girlfriend threatening the older woman.

"I think I do," Rita countered, "but that's a story for another day. Such a pity, though," the awful woman continued as she backed away from Hermione and her wand, "living with one man while stringing others along. It must be difficult on the conscience."

"Just because I enjoy living with a _friend _does not mean we are a couple. Viktor and I are in love, and Harry supports our relationship." Hermione said as fought to keep her voice from rising. "Furthermore, you are the only one here who needs to worry about her conscience." Before Rita could come back with another retort, Viktor felt a familiar tugging as Hermione apparated them back to his house.

Hermione's POV

The majority of the night had been like a dream for her, as if she had stepped out of her life and into one of a princess…who had just found her Prince Charming. Aside from the dance with Sergei, she had a wonderful time at the banquet. When Viktor confessed his feelings to her on the balcony, she felt like the night couldn't get any better…

Apparently, she had been right. Rita Skeeter just _had_ to show up and ruin her evening. If she had her way, Ms. Skeeter would be thrown into a den of hungry lions, or perhaps tossed to a pack of wild dogs. She almost felt guilty for her nasty feelings towards the woman, but glancing through one issue of The Daily Prophet usually cured her of any misplaced sympathy she felt for her.

Out of frustration, she had apparated herself to Viktor's house. Only later did she worry if he would be upset, but he thankfully didn't seem to mind. He did, however, seem to be even more upset with the interruption than she was. She had hoped he would continue holding or kissing her like he had moments before, but the unannounced guest seemed to have ruined the mood. He had simply shown her to the guest bedroom and given her a chaste kiss goodnight. She knew something was on his mind, but she avoided asking him. He would tell her when he was ready, and in the meantime, she would just have to suffer in silence.

She now stood in the guest bedroom, desperately searching through her bag for her nightclothes. It appeared Ginny, in her haste to pack the bag, had somehow managed to 'forget' to pack any pajamas. Hermione was almost certain Ginny had done it on purpose, but she knew her friend would simply deny it if she questioned her. Making a mental note to send her a Howler in the morning, Hermione searched through the drawers of the bedroom to find some suitable clothing for the night.

Unfortunately, the bedroom seemed to be devoid of anything remotely resembling clothes. She thought about trying to transfigure something, but everything in the room appeared to be some sort of priceless antique or family heirloom. Knowing her luck, she would transfigure the one piece of furniture that meant the most to Viktor or his family. She _could _transfigure her dress, but it was so beautiful, she didn't want to chance it being ruined. She finally attempted to transfigure her overnight bag, but it ended in disaster - there was still a zipper in the mangled mess she created, and it had five arm holes, all of which were too small. It was after midnight, and she was simply too tired to use magic anymore. She had barely been able to apparate as it was.

She knew she could easily ask Viktor for a nightgown of some sort, but she was a little nervous about doing so. Deciding she had no other option, she cautiously approached his door and knocked softly. A few moments later, it swung open to reveal Viktor, looking amazing sexy in his flannel pajamas. She couldn't even bring herself to speak until he repeated her name for the second time. "Sorry, I um…well, I was wondering if I could borrow some night clothes. It appears Ginny forgot to pack some for me." _Damn her! _

Viktor simply smiled at her, nearly making her swoon. "I understand, Hermione. Here, you can haff this." She almost started drooling when she saw Viktor start to undo the buttons of his red flannel top. "I do not usually vear this to bed, so you can haff it." She knew it would undoubtedly reach halfway to her knees, so she wasn't worried about being covered. She was, however, deathly worried about Viktor practically stripping in front of her. _How exactly was she supposed to avoid throwing herself at him now? _

"Thank you, Viktor," she said, keeping her eyes downcast. She kept mentally coaching herself, _don't look at his chest, don't look at his chest. _Of course, when he tipped her chin up with his thumb, her eyes immediately rested on his bare chest. His wonderfully muscular chest seemed to draw her eyes like a magnet, and it took all of her willpower not to cover him with kisses. Instead, she placed a soft kiss on his lips as she took the shirt from his hands. "Good night, Viktor," she murmured as she slowly turned to head back to her room.

"Good night, loff," he said softly as she turned the corner. She paused for a moment, hoping he would invite her back into his bedroom, but she heard the simple 'click' of the door shutting instead. As she walked down the hall to the cold, empty bedroom awaiting her, she realized…she may have had night clothes now, but there was _no _way she would be getting _any _sleep tonight.


	23. Back to the Bedroom

**A/N - Just a heads up - this chapter contains some minor sexual situations, but nothing too graphic. I decided to keep the "T" rating instead of an "M" rating in case it might offend someone. The next chapter will more than likely contain the same type of material as this one. I apologize if anyone is disappointed. **

* * *

An hour later, Hermione gave up the pretense of trying to sleep. She kept tossing and turning, not managing to fall asleep for even a few precious minutes. She kept replaying the events of the night in her mind, and she was pretty sure she had sufficiently mentally cursed Rita Skeeter in every possible way. If it wasn't for that insufferable woman, she could be missing out on sleep in a much more enjoyable way…and _not _alone.

Part of her was tempted to go back to Viktor's room, while the other part simply wanted to apparate back to her flat. She knew running away wouldn't help resolve the situation, but she was afraid of messing things up. They had admitted they loved each other, which was a huge step in her opinion, but now it was like they were mere strangers sharing a house. For the first thirty minutes, she had held out hope that he might come to her room, but no such luck. She could almost hear Ginny's voice taunting her again, _Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff! _

Fed up with her own lack of nerve, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She wasn't about to lay back and let the best thing in her life slip through her fingers. If Viktor wasn't ready to talk to her, fine…she would simply suggest an alternate activity to occupy their time. But she was _not _going to sleep alone tonight and wonder if he still loved her. She had despised those girls in school who had whined and complained about their boyfriends, all the while refusing to talk to them. She would be damned if she turned into one of them now.

Gathering up her courage, she jumped from her bed and quickly headed to Viktor's door. His shirt, which smelled gloriously like him, was several sizes too big, so it thankfully hit her about mid-thigh. She didn't want to _look_ like a total slag when she went to his bedroom, even if she didhave every intention of _acting_ like one if necessary. She was in love with him, and he was in love with her, and she finally intended to do something about it.

She knocked rather loudly on his door and waited calmly for him to answer. She kept her head held high and resisted the urge to smooth imaginary wrinkles from her pajama top. When a shocked Viktor answered the door a few moments later, she merely smiled as she waltzed past him into his bedroom, careful to keep her eyes away from his chest. "I'm afraid I can't sleep in the guest bedroom, Viktor," she said contritely.

"Oh? Is something vrong? I haff other guest bedrooms if you like," Viktor offered after a moment's hesitation, looking apologetic. His sexily rumpled hair was sticking out in all directions, reminding her briefly of Harry. The rest of him, however, banished all thoughts of Harry from her head.

"I'm sorry, Viktor, but I don't think the other guest bedrooms will work either," Hermione responded, walking a little closer to his bed. A look of hurt flashed across his face as he turned to fiddle with something on his desk.

"I understand, Hermione. If you vould like to return home, I can escort you. I-I apologize about tonight." His voice was hoarse, almost as if he was fighting to hold in some emotion.

"It's nice of you to offer, Viktor, but I think I know where I want to be," she said as she moved noiselessly on to the bed. "As a matter of fact, I'm currently in the bed I would like to sleep in tonight if that's okay with you."

She watched as Viktor slowly turned around, his dark eyes wide with surprise. "You vant to sleep in my bed tonight?" he asked hesitantly. When she nodded, he continued, "Vould you like me to sleep on the couch or in the guest bedroom?"

She shook her head vigorously at his question. "No, Viktor, I want to be sure you understand _exactly _what I mean. I want _you_ to sleep in this bed, and I want _me _to sleep in this bed, too." When he raised his eyebrow questioningly at her, she added, "I love you, and I know you love me, too." She took a deep breath before adding in a whisper, "Make love to me, Viktor."

Viktor's POV

He felt he had surely ruined things when Rita Skeeter interrupted them on the balcony. Her words were still nagging him, and he knew he had practically ignored Hermione when they returned to his house. He hadn't meant to, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he couldn't seem to recapture the moment. Instead, he had practically exiled her to the guest bedroom with a lackluster goodnight kiss.

When she had asked him for pajamas, he almost laughed. He knew Ginny had purposefully not packed clothes for her, and it gave him a little courage to know someone was pulling for him. Of course, he had hoped giving her his shirt might spark a little interest in her, but it didn't seem to work. She had always said she liked his chest, and he was almost certain that she would make a move after seeing him standing shirtless in his bedroom. _Not even close! _She had merely taken the shirt and headed back to her bedroom without so much as a backwards glance. _Maybe he wasn't as attractive anymore… _

After looking in the mirror, he was fairly confident that he looked roughly the same as he did when they first met. He actually thought he looked a little better, but he was still far from handsome regardless. He vaguely wondered if she had seen Harry without a shirt on…_did he look better than him? _Scolding himself for acting like a jealous teenager, he shoved the thought to the side and coached himself on how to fix the situation.

Regardless of how bad it was, he knew he had to try and repair it. Hermione was too important to let slip between his fingers again. Since she didn't seem too interested in being with him tonight, not that he could blame her after his earlier actions, he would make a move tomorrow, right after breakfast. Maybe he could even arrange for breakfast in bed! Excited about the possibilities, he started to write down some instructions for the house-elves when a loud knock at his door interrupted him.

Wondering if it was Hermione or someone else, he cautiously opened the door to see an unbelievably sexy Hermione in _his _pajamas. Just seeing her in _his _clothes caused a feeling of possessiveness to surge through him. She had breezed right by him, though, oblivious to the hunger in his eyes, explaining she couldn't sleep in the guest bedroom. He had at first thought that perhaps it was too cold or the bed was lumpy, but she then informed him she wouldn't sleep in _any _of his guest bedrooms. Fearing the worst, he had turned to hide his face from her. He didn't want her to see the look of anguish that was surely on his face. He had hoped he could make things up to her in the morning, but she wasn't sticking around long enough for him to…

That's when she said she wanted to sleep in his bed. He had assumed she wouldn't want him to sleep with her, but she flat out told him she wanted him to make love to her. Now, he found himself standing in the middle of his room, staring at the lovely half-naked woman lying across his bed. "You vant me to make loff to you?" he asked tentatively, hoping against hope that he had heard her correctly. She had just spoken the words he had longed to hear for six years, and he didn't entirely trust that he wasn't dreaming.

"Yes, Viktor." she responded simply, stretching out a little more on the bed. The hem of his shirt had risen dangerously high on her leg, and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her body. Whatever reservations he had about being with her were now effectively snuffed. He no longer cared if he was attractive enough, or if Harry was better looking. It no longer mattered what his teammates said or even what Rita Skeeter had said. All that mattered now was that the woman he had loved for seven years wanted _him. _

"Thank Merlin," he muttered as he practically ran to his bed. He quickly pinned Hermione beneath him and covered her mouth with his in a forceful yet loving kiss. He desperately wanted to explain his earlier hesitation, but he couldn't seem to get a coherent thought in his head with her body so close to his. "I thought you vould never ask. I haff vanted to for so long, but I did not vant to pressure you," he murmured against her neck as he continued to place hungry kisses along her jaw.

"_Pressure_ me?" Hermione replied incredulously in between his kisses. "I kept waiting for you to make a move. I was about to just throw myself at you like one of your fangirls."

He gave a short laugh as he thought of all those silly girls that still plagued him from time to time. Leave it to Hermione to bring up other girls while he was trying to make love to her. Although the thought of the giggling girls dampened his arousal a little, he was quite sure he would rebound easily with Hermione in his arms. "Does that mean you vill send me a pair of your knickers in the mail now?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. He ran his hand down the length of her top and paused at the hem before sliding his hand slowly underneath. The need to feel her bare skin against his was just too pressing to resist, and he couldn't help but fantasize about what type of knickers she might be wearing.

"I might just do that, love." Hermione responded, her voice suddenly husky. As his hand crept a little higher, she let out a low keening moan that nearly sent him over the edge. "I can't right now though because I'm not wearing any knickers at the moment."

Viktor let out a strangled groan at her admission. It was clear that she was no longer the shy bookworm he met at Hogwarts. The woman in front of him was a seductive siren who had him wrapped around her little finger. He glanced at her face, only to see her displaying a victorious little grin on her lovely lips. _Two can play at that game…_he thought to himself. As much as he wanted to pretend he was in control, he knew that he would gladly do _anything _she asked him to do…but since _she _didn't know that just yet, he was going to have a little fun first. "Not sure if I can trust you, Hermione. I may need to confirm if you haff knickers on or not."

He let his left hand slide further underneath the fabric while his right hand slowly began to undo the buttons on her top. It had the intended reaction as he saw her eyes widen in surprise. Her surprise only lasted for a moment, though, and then her hands were tugging at the ends of her shirt. In a matter of seconds, she had shrugged off the bulky material, leaving her entire body exposed to him.

When he saw Hermione's naked body on display for _his eyes only_, he suddenly realized he couldn't care less about the teasing little game he had been playing moments before. The wondrous reality of the situation was that either way it went, _he had already won_.


	24. The Morning After

**Thanks for all the reviews! Naturally, I don't own Harry Potter, but I realized I had yet to put a disclaimer on the story. :) This chapter is a little short, but I promise to update soon. **

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Hermione's POV

She woke the next morning wrapped in the strong, protective arms of the man she loved. It seemed that last night had a fairytale ending after all, even though her Prince Charming happened to be snoring slightly at the moment. She suppressed a chuckle and made a move to retrieve her clothing from the floor, being sure to wrap a blanket around her. Her top, well, _his _top to be exact, was thrown haphazardly several feet from the bed, and his pajama bottoms were nowhere in sight. She vaguely recalled helping him shed the garment, but she couldn't for the life of her recall what happened to it afterwards. Of course, her focus was on much more important things at the time…

She glanced down at herself, surprised to find several little love bites marring her chest. Even without a mirror, she was positive there was also at least one hickey on her neck, courtesy of Prince Charming himself. She would have been horrified just a few years earlier to be in such a state, but now she couldn't help smiling as she thought about what activities had resulted in such markings. Viktor truly was a passionate man, and he had certainly proven that to her last night…_twice. _

Unsurprisingly, it had taken a little _prodding _on her part to get him to open up to her, but it had certainly been worth it. Her face still burned at the thought of how shamelessly she had thrown herself at him in his bedroom. She had, however, been slightly mollified when Viktor responded ever so nicely to her not-so-subtle advances. If last night was her reward for being a little forward with him, she would be tempted to try out the technique again.

"Vhere are you going?" she heard a deep, rumbling voice say from behind her. She immediately jumped, then turned to face Viktor with a guilty look on her face. "I vake up after vonderful night, and I see beautiful voman trying to leave my bed."

He had a mockingly stern expression on his face, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. "I'm sorry, Viktor," she said, smiling shyly. She walked slowly over to the bed, the blanket still wrapped securely around her. "You looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you up. I was just planning on going for a run, and then I thought I might bring you breakfast in bed." Seeing him staring at her with those sleepy eyes made her want to climb back in bed with him.

He sat up in bed, yawned softly then leaned over, extending his hand out to her. "Come back to bed vith me, Hermione. Running is bad exercise," he said frowning.

Hermione just looked at him confusedly. "How is running bad, Viktor? I read that besides swimming, running is actually-"

Her voice was cut off by Viktor as he suddenly lunged at her. He grabbed her by the waist, and rolled over, trapping her underneath him on the bed. She let out a shriek in surprise, but quickly grinned when she realized what position they were in. "Running is bad exercise," he said as he began kissing her neck, "because it vill take you away from me. I vant you to stay in bed vith me."

Hermione felt herself relax as Viktor continued placing soft kisses on her neck and that vulnerable spot behind her ear. She sighed contentedly, forgetting all about running. She felt his hands tugging on the blanket, and she tightened her grip in response. "Viktor, I want to keep the blanket," she protested.

"Vhy?" he asked, peering into her face.

"Because…it's cold," she lied. It really wasn't all that cold, and being close to Viktor kept her more than warm.

"I vill keep you varm, loff," Viktor replied with a wicked smile as he pulled on the blanket again.

"No!" Hermione said, clutching the blanket to her chest. "I mean, I want you to keep me warm, but can't I keep the blanket, too?" She knew she sounded a bit like a petulant child, but the idea of having Viktor see all of her imperfections in daylight was a little too much to handle. Last night had been wonderful, and she didn't want to ruin it this morning with her physical flaws.

When she saw the corners of his mouth turn down into a scowl, she knew he wasn't giving up. "Vhat are you not telling me, loff? Vhy do you not vant me to see you?" If he had gotten angry, Hermione probably would have felt a little justified. Instead, he sounded almost…_hurt. _She could handle making him angry from time to time, but she couldn't handle hurting him.

"Viktor, please don't be upset with me. It's just that, I-I well, I'm not that comfortable with being, you know, completely _naked _in front of you." She almost cringed at her own words. She knew she sounded ridiculously insecure, even to her own ears, but all her courage seemed to have faded with the night. Making love to Viktor in almost total darkness was one thing, but stripping in the bright morning sunlight was a little more difficult.

His scowl disappeared, and a gentle smile took its place. "Hermione, ve vere together last night, and you let me see all of you." He paused as a little smirk formed on his face, "Actually, you let me do more than just _see _you. Vhy does it bother you now?" His hand was softly stroking up and down her arm as he spoke. He seemed completely oblivious to his own nudity, which provided a treat for her eyes, but made her feel worse by comparison. He had absolutely no reason to worry about his physical appearance. His well-sculpted body reminded her of a Greek god, while her own physique was sorely lacking in her eyes.

"Last night was different," she protested, knowing her argument was going to be a weak one in his eyes. "It was dark, and you probably couldn't see me that well, but now you can see _everything, _Viktor_." _

"I vant to see _everything, _loff." Viktor immediately replied, cupping her cheek with his hand. "You haff beautiful body, Hermione, but that is not vhy I loff you. Your heart and your mind are vhy I loff you. No matter vhat body looks like, it vill not stop me from loffing you."

She simply stared in wonder at the handsome man lying next to her. It just didn't seem logically possible for a man like him to exist. She knew he wasn't perfect, but it always felt perfect when they were together. Whenever she was feeling insecure, he never failed to say or do the one thing that she needed from him. Although there was still a little part of her that wanted to doubt his words, she could tell by his face that every word he had spoken had been genuine and sincere.

"Thank you, Viktor," she whispered. Leaning in closer to him, she said, "I love you, too. I would love you if you never played Quidditch again, and I would love you if you didn't have this enormous _castle_ to live in." She looked up to see a huge smile spread its way over his face. Seeing him smile like that caused a surge of pride to course through her. Anyone who knew Viktor realized that getting him to smile like that was truly a daunting feat.

"Thank you, loff," he said softly as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. After a moment's pause, he abruptly sat up, "So you vill not be exercising this morning?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"Oh, yes, I'm still going to exercise," she responded slyly, watching as a frown appeared on her lover's face.

"You vill leave me alone in cold, empty bed?" he said, managing to pout and scowl at the same time.

She looked at his sulking figure, and decided there were far more _satisfying _things to do than tease him. "Well, I've actually decided against running. I was thinking maybe we could _exercise _like we did last night."

She kept her gaze on his face, anxious to see his reaction. Judging by his actions this morning, he had enjoyed last night, but it would still help to know if he was interested in a repeat performance. The sudden fire in his eyes was exactly what she was hoping for, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring his body down to meet hers. He immediately lowered his lips to hers, and her hands threaded through his hair, pulling his head even closer. This time, when he reached for the blanket she had wrapped around her, she didn't bother to stop him.


	25. Questions

Viktor's POV

Two hours later, Viktor woke with the sunlight streaming into his face. He quickly glanced at the clock to see it was well past noon. He normally would have been horrified at his laziness for sleeping in all day, but the beautiful angel lying in his arms had him singing a different tune. At the moment, he couldn't think of anything that he would rather be doing with his Sunday morning.

When he felt Hermione stir in his arms, he leaned down to tenderly kiss her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open after a few moments, and she greeted him with a warm smile. In that instant, Viktor knew there was nothing he wouldn't give to wake up to her every morning for the rest of his life. He desperately wanted to make her his wife, but he knew it was almost certainly too early to ask. He was just so grateful to have her back in his life, he would gladly take whatever she was willing to give him, even if it was just one night.

"Good morning, loff," he murmured into her ear. She responded with a mumbled reply before snuggling closer to him. They might have stayed that way for hours if his stomach hadn't decided to ruin the moment by grumbling noisily.

Hermione merely laughed softly before raising her head to meet his. "I think maybe we should get out of bed, Mr. Krum. It seems your stomach is protesting rather loudly," she said with a grin.

"Stomach does not matter," he answered stubbornly. "Heart is happy, so I am happy." He was rewarded with a rather passionate kiss from Hermione, and he would have continued down that same path if his traitorous body hadn't been screaming for a rest. Instead, he summoned a house-elf and instructed him to bring them lunch.

Despite Hermione's many protests, they ended up eating in bed. She insisted on performing a cleaning charm afterwards, and Viktor merely laughed to himself. She was so practical, even when they were half-naked in bed. When they finally managed to drag themselves from the warmth of the bed, it was nearly three in the afternoon. He had dressed quickly, and scrounged up some suitable attire of his for Hermione to wear. Although he could have easily transfigured something more her size, he absolutely loved seeing her in his clothing…almost as much as he enjoyed seeing her in his bed.

They headed down to the kitchen where Hermione began preparing a cup of tea for them both. Viktor sat down at the table, unable to wipe the grin from his face. Everywhere he saw Hermione in his house, it felt right. He didn't know if she would agree to it, but he was hoping she would stay the night again. Now that they could be open about their relationship at work, he saw no reason why she couldn't stay with him every night. _If only _she_ sees it that way…_

"Viktor?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to him at the table. She gently pushed a cup of hot tea towards him, careful to keep the liquid from spilling over the side. She was biting her lower lip, and he knew it was a sure sign that she was nervous.

"Yes, loff?"

"Would you mind if I asked you a question?" she asked, still biting her lip. "It's rather personal, so I understand if you don't want to, I just thought-"

"Of course, I do not mind," he answered. She still seemed a little unsure of herself, so he added, "How about I answer your question, then I vill ask you question?" He didn't really have an idea of what question he wanted to ask, but he just wanted to make her feel comfortable enough to trust him.

"That sounds fair," she said with a small smile. She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I'm not entirely sure how to ask this, so I'll just sort of spit it out. When we were together six years ago, it was the most incredible experience of my life." Viktor couldn't help but smirk a little at her confession. "But last night, you were…" she trailed off, and Viktor felt his heart rate pick up. _What was wrong with last night? Was it not as good as before? She didn't regret it, did she? _Hermione finally found her voice again, and continued, "You were even better. Actually, you were _a lot _better, and I guess it bothered me because it seems like you've had a lot of practice since we were together."

By the time she finished, her face was flushed, but her brows were knitted together in frustration. She avoided looking at his face, and he could tell she was upset. "So you are vanting to know how many vomen I haff been vith during past six years?" Viktor asked quietly. He was pretty sure that was what she was getting at, but she hadn't technically voice it yet.

She opened her mouth, then closed it a few moments later. Finally, after burying her face in her hands, she let out a muffled "Yes."

He almost laughed out loud, but realized it wouldn't be the right time. He knew she felt bad for asking, but he didn't mind the question. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, and she had every right to know who he had been with. "Hermione, it is okay, I do not mind question." When she didn't lift up her head, he gently pried her hands apart and tilted her chin up so she could meet his eyes. "I haff only been vith two vomen since you. One right before the var, one right after the var."

When she didn't respond, he continued, "They vere both, how do you say, one-night stands? I am not proud of my actions, but I haff not slept vith a voman in years, and you are only voman I vant to sleep vith now."

Hermione's eyes were wide with surprise, and a small smile graced her lips. "Only two?" she asked timidly, to which he simply nodded. She let out an audible sigh of relief, and her smile widened considerably. "I know it shouldn't matter since we weren't together, but I just couldn't help thinking of you with other women, and it was driving me crazy!"

"I understand, Hermione," he said, grabbing her hand to pull her into his lap. "Vhen you told me you had not been vith another man besides me, I vas very happy. I vant to be only man in your life," he said seriously. She responded by throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest. He felt his heart soar at her reaction. He hadn't wanted to be too forward with her, but he couldn't suppress his feelings any longer.

"So, if you haven't been _practicing, _how did you get so talented at…_that?" _Hermione asked, her voice still partially muffled by his chest.

He knew she was keeping her head down because she was undoubtedly blushing at the question. He again fought down the urge to laugh as he answered, "I _did _practice, but not how you think. I haff dreamed of being vith you so many times. I haff spent hours just imagining vhat it vould be like to hold you in my arms again. Vhen you gave me the chance last night, I vanted to be sure I did not disappoint you," he confessed, surprisingly comfortable with his own words. He had been so nervous before, but being with her last night made him realize they were meant to be together.

"Oh, Viktor!" Hermione cried, throwing herself against him. After giving him a crushing embrace, she pulled back from the hug and stared up at him. "Do you know that you said the exact same thing to me the first time? You told me six years ago that you didn't want to disappoint me. You didn't then, and you certainly haven't now."

Viktor felt a huge smile cross his face. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers in what was supposed to be a chaste kiss. Not breaking the kiss, Hermione shifted in his lap, applying a satisfying pressure to a certain part of his anatomy. He moaned in response, and she ground her hips a little more, nearly causing him to forget all about his question.

He finally pulled back from the kiss, whispering roughly in her ear, "I think maybe you are trying to distract me. I haff not asked you my question yet, my sveet Hermione."

She covered her mouth as a light chuckle escaped. "Caught me," she said with a grin. "I apologize for my _tactics, _Viktor, and you may now ask me any question you would like."

He hadn't been sure earlier, but now he knew what he wanted to ask. It had been nagging at him since last night, and he had the sneaking suspicion she knew something about it. "Vhat did Rita Skeeter mean last night by _Krum brothers?" _He asked quietly.

Hermione's expression immediately changed from contented to nervous. Now he knew without a doubt that she did, in fact, know what Rita Skeeter had meant. He waited for her response, but none came. She sat there, mouth open, eyes darting back and forth worriedly. "Hermione?" he prompted, putting his hand on her cheek. "Vhat is it?"

"Viktor, it's…it's complicated," she began slowly, rising from his lap to stand. She immediately began pacing around the kitchen like a caged animal…_not a good sign. _"I don't really know how to say this, and I just hope you won't be angry with me." He was trying not to worry, but her words were beginning to make him uneasy. _Why would he be angry with her? _

She continued pacing a few more moments before turning back to him. "Last week, I was at The Wizards' Café for lunch, and Alexei suddenly appeared at my table. He asked if he could join me, and I said yes," she said solemnly, dropping her gaze to the floor. His heart was starting to race, and a knot of dread was forming in his stomach. _Please, not with Alexei…don't leave me for Alexei, _he silently prayed.

"I know I should have said no, but he was acting like a gentleman at the time," she continued, running her hands through her hair. "He said he wanted to talk about you, so we had lunch together." She hadn't met his eyes once while she was talking. Viktor was suddenly having trouble breathing, and his throat was unbearably dry. "Everything was fine until he…propositioned me."

Viktor wasn't entirely sure of the meaning of 'proposition', but if it meant what he thought it meant, he would be paying a visit to his brother very soon. "Vhat exactly did he say?" Viktor asked, his voice sounding more like a growl, his temper beginning to show itself.

Hermione took another deep breath before answering, "He said that if I was interested, he would be happy to…to share me with you."

He felt his blood boil at her last statement. He would _not _share Hermione with _anyone, _much less with his own married brother! The idea of Hermione and Alexei together was almost too much to handle. _No, Hermione wouldn't do that to him…would she? She had said she loved _him, _not Alexei. _Then a little voice in his head reminded him thatAlexei was a handsome man, much more so than he was...and that she wouldn't be the first girl to leave him for his brother. Dropping his head in his hands, he asked in a quiet voice, "Did you sleep vith him?"

Hermione's POV

She sat stunned, not believing what Viktor had just asked her. "What?"

"Did you sleep vith him?" he repeated, his eyes darker than she had ever seen them. The pain showing on his face was nearly too much for her to bear.

"Of course not!" she replied fiercely. "Why would you think that I would do such a thing? Viktor, I love _you, _not him," she said as she sat down next to him, placing her hand over his.

He lifted his head to look at her face, staring into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke. "Vhat did you say to him?"

"I told him I loved you, and only you, and he could go _proposition _a hippogriff," she answered without hesitation. Granted, she had used a few more choice words, but she didn't feel it necessary to repeat the _exact _words she had chosen.

She didn't want to tell him what happened next, but she knew the question was inevitable. She decided it would look better if she spoke up first. "Viktor, when I got up to leave, he leaned in towards me. I pulled away, but he managed to kiss me on the cheek. Rita was at the café, and she must have seen him. I swear, Viktor, I didn't know…" her voice trailed off as she felt her throat start to tighten. "I should have told you sooner, but I knew you would be upset. I'm so sorry…"

He withdrew his hand from hers, and turned his head to stare at the wall. It was almost as if he couldn't bear seeing or touching her anymore. She could feel the fear bubbling up insider her at the thought of him ending their relationship. She knew he would be upset about Alexei, and she had prayed that it would just go away…_Damn Rita Skeeter and Alexei Krum both! _

"Viktor?" she whispered, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill.

He slowly turned his head towards her, but his gaze dropped to the table. He sighed deeply before speaking. There was no anger, no rage, just…resignation. "It vill alvays be like this, won't it, Hermione?" he asked in a tired voice. "Men alvays after you vhen I am not around. How long before you find someone better than me?"

"Never!" she cried, reaching for his hand again. "Viktor, you are the only man I have _ever_ loved, and there is _no one_ better in my eyes. Can't you see that?" she pleaded, her eyes desperately searching his face for an answer.

Viktor's face remained expressionless, his eyes empty of emotion. "I do not know if I can do this, Hermione," he whispered, not moving his eyes from the table. "Alvays vorrying, alvays vondering if another man vill come between us…"

"Another man will never come between us," Hermione interrupted. She was on the brink of weeping, and a few rogue tears had already slipped down her cheek. The knot in her stomach tightened, and a feeling of dread had her heart beating wildly against her ribs. "You know I love you," after a moment she asked in a soft voice, "Do you still love me, Viktor?"

After a moment, he turned his eyes towards hers, and she nearly gasped at the cold, dead look in his eyes. Only minutes before, he had seemed so happy, and now it was as if sadness had suddenly engulfed him. "I still loff you, Hermione. I just…" his voice cracked, "It's just I need time to think."

She knew the hurt on her fact was evident, but she attempted to smile through her tears. "I understand," she replied quietly.

"I am not angry vith you, Hermione," Viktor said, lightly squeezing her hand. She felt the icy grip on her heart loosen somewhat as she heard those words. "I just need to be alone to think. I am upset, and I think maybe you should go home."

Despite the kindness in his voice, Hermione felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She knew he needed time to think about what had happened, but being dismissed hurt her worse than she could have imagined. She nodded her head slowly, not trusting her voice enough to respond at the moment. Rising slowly from the chair, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek before whispering, "Molly invited us to The Burrow for dinner. I'll be there if you need me." As she backed away, she said one more time, "I love you."


	26. Helping Hand

**Author's Note: I always forget the disclaimer. I don't own Harry Potter...shocker, I know. **

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Viktor's POV

After Hermione apparated, Viktor once again put his head in his hands, staring down at the table. He felt like he was drowning, and he had no idea which way was up. He knew what he needed - someone to talk to, an objective bystander that could give him perspective, something he had plainly lost during the past hour. He was so angry and hurt right now that he couldn't think clearly. He had already made a mess of their relationship, and he didn't want to make things even worse between him and Hermione by acting rashly.

He obviously couldn't talk to Hermione since it directly involved her, and that meant Harry was out, too. Harry might be helpful, but he was far from objective when it came to Hermione. Ron wasn't even worth mentioning as an option. Viktor briefly considered his father, but he realized he couldn't possibly tell his parents that their firstborn son (who was _married_) had made a pass at Hermione. When they had found out about some of Alexei's past indiscretions, it had nearly broken their hearts. He wasn't about to make things worse for them, especially when his no-good brother was the cause of it.

Viktor finally hit upon a possibility, and he nearly forgot to change his clothes before apparating away. After taking a few minutes to freshen up, he apparated to his friend's flat, hoping he wasn't catching him at a bad time. "Nikolai?" he called out in a loud voice.

"Viktor? Is that you?" a voice in the hallway responded a few moments later. Nikolai came into the kitchen, where Viktor had apparated, looking surprised but pleased at his sudden appearance. "Vhat brings you here? I thought you vould be vith the lovely Miss Granger today." He shot Viktor a suggestive smile before realizing it was the wrong thing to say.

"That is vhy I am here. Ve had a…disagreement," Viktor said cautiously. He didn't want to call it a fight because there hadn't been any yelling or crying, but it didn't make his heart hurt any less.

"Oh?" Nikolai said with a frown. He gestured for Viktor to join him as he sat down at the table. "Vhat did you do?"

Viktor glanced up at him sharply. "Me? Vhy do you think I did anything?"

"Because Hermione is in loff vith you, and she vould not hurt you," he answered simply, unaffected by Viktor's glare.

"It vas not Hermione, but it vas _not _me either, Nikolai," Viktor hissed, already beginning to regret coming to him for help.

Nikolai leaned back in his chair, keeping his eyes on Viktor. "Vhy don't you tell me vhat happened and ve vill see?"

Viktor had to bite his tongue to keep from lashing out at Nikolai. He knew his friend was only trying to help him, and he was in desperate need of help at the moment. Focusing on the problem at hand, he briefly explained what had happened that morning, leaving out, of course, all mention of the bedroom activity. There were most definitely _not_ problems in that area, thank Merlin.

Instead of immediately responding, Nikolai continued to ponder what Viktor had said. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke, "So you are angry because your brother tried to seduce your girlfriend?"

"Of course!" Viktor exclaimed. "Vho vouldn't be? But it is not only my brother," he continued as he rose from the table, too upset to remain seated. "It seems like every man vants to be vith her, and I cannot keep vondering vhat vill happen every time I am not around."

Nikolai scoffed, "Rubbish. Those men do not matter."

"How can you say that?" Viktor questioned, getting more and more frustrated.

"Hermione does not vant other men, she vants you," he replied calmly, turning his face to meet Viktor's.

"She does _now, _but vhat happens vhen she meets someone better?" Viktor asked, knowing he sounded like a petulant child.

"Don't you see, Viktor?" Nikolai asked, his voice still void of any heat. "Hermione thinks no one is better than you. Trust me, I know."

There was something in Nikolai's voice that caused Viktor to stop pacing. "Vhat do you know, Nikolai?" he asked in a low voice.

"Sit, I vill explain," he responded tiredly. He waited patiently for Viktor to sit before speaking. "First, do not get upset. I tell you this so you vill see that you are vrong." He spoke sternly, not taking his eyes off of him. Viktor gave a slight nod, and he continued. "Vhen Hermione came to Vrasta, many players vere…excited. Ve tried to get her attention, and-"

"I know this, Nikolai," Viktor interrupted exasperatedly.

"You do not know everything," Nikolai said grimly. "Ve tried everything to vin her over. Chocolates, presents, even expensive jewelry…" his voice trailed off. "Hermione told us time and again she did not vant our gifts because she vas happy vith boyfriend. Many players, myself and Sergei included, asked her out nearly every day, and she alvays turned us down."

Viktor couldn't believe what his teammate was telling him. He knew the players talked about how beautiful she was, and they joked about asking her out, but he had no idea they had tried so hard to woo her. Nikolai spoke again, breaking Viktor's train of thought, "I am sorry, Viktor. I had no idea it vas you, and I am happy for you. I-I apologized to Hermione at the banquet." He said quietly, his voice laced with guilt.

"It is okay, Nikolai," Viktor responded, running his hands through his hair. At least he hadn't known…unlike Alexei. "But that doesn't make me feel better. It just makes me feel vorse."

Nikolai shook his head, a slight smile on his face. "You are looking at it vrong again, Viktor. Hermione could haff said yes to any of us vithout you knowing, but she didn't. All vomen love Sergei, but Hermione has never looked at him the vay she looked at you last night."

Viktor walked over to the table where Nikolai was sitting and slowly sat down. He didn't speak, but Nikolai knew what he wanted to know. "It vas obvious Hermione is in loff vith you. Vhen she danced vith others, her eyes vere still on you. Ve danced together, and all she talked about vas how handsome you looked. Sergei vas furious," he said, his lips turning up slightly at the thought of Sergei being upset. "You cannot trust every man, no one can, but it is no matter. You _can _trust Hermione, and she loffs you."

Viktor knew what he was saying made sense, but he wasn't ready to let go of his anger just yet. "If Hermione loffs me, then vhy did she not tell me about Alexei? Vhy did she not tell me about all those gifts you tried to give her?"

"Bloody fool," Nikolai muttered while rolling his eyes. "She did not tell you because she thought you vould be upset vith her and overreact."

"She still should haff told me," Viktor said stubbornly.

"Yes, she should haff told you earlier, but she did not. Of course, vhen she _did_ tell you, guess vhat you do?" He raised an eyebrow at Viktor who felt his face flush. "You did just vhat she thought, and now she vill not vant to tell you anything else. You have fangirls throwing their knickers at you in public, and I know your fan mail is even vorse sometimes. Hermione alvays trusts you, though, but you cannot do the same for her. That is vhy I said you vere vrong."

Viktor slowly leaned back in his chair, mulling over Nikolai's words. He _had _overreacted, even though it felt justified at the time. _Did Hermione really love him? _He knew she did, but his own insecurity had blinded him. Nikolai was right – fangirls _did _throw their knickers, among other things, at him, and Hermione had never once questioned his faithfulness to her, even when they had dated the first time around. She had always believed what he said, but he had doubted her at the first sign of trouble.

Ashamed and frustrated, Viktor shook his head furiously. It would serve him right if she didn't speak to him again, but he was more determined than ever to get her back now. _But how? _He would have to be charming and sophisticated to get her back, which for him, was quite a predicament. He was neither charming nor sophisticated, and he would most likely mess up any attempt to apologize. He just needed to think…

Nikolai, almost as if reading his thoughts, spoke up, "Viktor, I can see little vheels in your head turning. You vant her back, so go get her."

"Nikolai, it isn't that easy. She vill not vant to talk to me, and I need to figure out vhat to say so that-"

"No!" Nikolai interrupted vehemently. Viktor turned his head to stare at him in shock. He was normally very laid-back, and he had rarely, if ever, raised his voice to Viktor. "No more thinking, Viktor, just action. You do not haff to be perfect; she loffs you for you, and she vill be happy vith vhatever you say. You are vasting time, and you vill lose her if you do not act." When Viktor failed to move after a few moments, Nikolai erupted again, "Bloody hell, Viktor! Go get your voman or I vill do it for you!" He glanced at Nikolai, expecting to see a teasing smile on his face, but his teammate's face was gravely serious.

Viktor jumped up from the table, knowing Nikolai was right. Many men would be waiting to take his place if he let her go now, and he could not lose her again. If Hermione loved him, and he was pretty sure she did, then it would be alright if he messed up…he hoped. Heading to the fireplace to floo home, he glanced back at Nikolai, still seated at the table. "Thank you," he said simply before he threw the familiar green powder into the fireplace and disappeared into the flames.

"Lucky bastard," Nikolai said under his breath. As he stood up from the table, he whispered with a smile, "Go get her, Viktor."

Viktor never got to hear Nikolai's last words of encouragement, but he already had all the motivation he needed. Hermione was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he had resolved to win her back. He quickly changed his robes, careful to remember to slip a certain object into his pocket.

Before he left for The Burrow, he wanted to be sure his brother thought twice about speaking to _his _Hermione again. He was entirely too angry to discuss the matter with Alexei face to face. He would surely end up in Azkaban for his actions if he got within arm's reach of him now. Instead, he found a more constructive way to express just how he felt – he wrote him a letter. Not just any letter, of course – Alexei Krum was about to get a Howler he would never forget.

Hermione's POV

Meanwhile, Hermione had apparated home in time to change for dinner. Luckily, Harry was already at The Burrow, so she didn't have to deal with any annoying questions about why she had been crying. After she had successfully repaired her make-up and hair, she had apparated to The Burrow. Fortunately, by the time she arrived, her earlier crying fit wasn't noticeable, and she was greeted as normal.

Ironically, the never-ending whirl of activity at The Burrow immediately soothed her nerves. It seemed like the house itself was the personification of love. There was yelling, and crying, and even the occasion fist fight…but there was always love, just below the surface, ready to shine if needed. That's what she had envisioned her relationship with Viktor as; she just hoped he felt the same way.

Much to her surprise, Ron immediately approached her when she arrived. "'Mione, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, shifting his feet uncomfortably. He didn't meet her eyes but kept his face pointed towards the floor.

"Sure, Ron," she responded, more than a little curious about what the upcoming topic of conversation would be. She desperately hoped that it wasn't about her and Viktor because she didn't think she could handle any more immature outbursts from him.

As they ascended the stairs, he led her to his room where he quietly shut the door. She knew it might seem odd to others, but she had been in his room countless times over the years. With a houseful of Weasleys, the idea of privacy was a foreign concept, so shutting themselves away in a room was the only way to get through a conversation without being interrupted. He slowly turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers for the first time. "I wanted to-to apologize, Hermione."

Hermione blinked, not entirely sure she had heard him correctly. He must have seen the stupid look on her face because he continued, "I know that I have been a real prat about you and Viktor, and I'm sorry. I guess I just thought maybe you and I would eventually…" he trailed off, tearing his gaze away from her. She opened her mouth, but he held up his hand to stop her. "I know it wouldn't have worked, but it just took me a while to figure it out. I started dating Lavender this week, and she's already straightened me out a lot," he said, his face flushing a deep shade of red. "I-I'm sorry if I messed things up, and I want you to know I really am happy for you."

For one of the few moments of her life, Hermione was absolutely speechless. Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she rushed towards him, enveloping him in a fierce hug. "Oh, Ron!" she cried, burying her face in his shoulder. She did her best to keep the tears from falling, and she was pleased she had managed to avoid ruining Ron's shirt.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" Ron asked, slightly pulling away to stare down into her face.

"Of course, you big prat!" Hermione said, hugging him once more. She heard him chuckle as she pulled back.

"I at least thought you might want to hex me," he said jokingly.

"Don't tempt me," she warned, sending him a teasing smile as he opened the door.

Her heart felt ten times lighter as she descended back down the stairs towards the noise of the boisterous crowd below. Having Ron support her relationship with Viktor _had _to be a sign…_right? _Surely if Ron could see they were meant to be together, Viktor could, too…_couldn't he? Of course he could! _She mentally coached herself. She would give him a little space to work things out in his head, and then she was going to march herself back to his house and tell him exactly what she thought, even if it killed her.

"Hermione?" Ron asked as they walked slowly down the crooked stairs, "are you and Viktor…serious?"

She could tell by the hesitation in his voice that he was trying not to offend her, and she bit back a satisfied smile. "Yes, Ron, we are." She responded. Struck by the sudden urge to confide in someone, she added, "I'm in love with him, Ron, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

Ron nearly tripped over the next stair, and he hastily grabbed onto the railing for support. "Are y-you getting married?" he asked, his face alarmingly white.

"No," she admitted. "He hasn't said anything about it, and I know it will be months away if it even _does _happen, but I just _know_ he's the one for me. We had a little spat earlier today, and I can't stand him being upset with me. I know I messed up, but-"

"Nonsense," Ron interrupted, "Hermione Granger never messes up."

She looked at her red-headed friend who was currently grinning from ear to ear. It was so nice to have him back, even if he _was _teasing her again. As she reached the last step, she glanced into the kitchen and froze.

There, looking nearly frantic in disheveled robes and adorably mismatched socks, was Viktor.


	27. A Question

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

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Viktor's POV

He had flooed to The Burrow, not entirely sure what he would do or say once he got there. Luckily, Mrs. Weasley had been in the kitchen when he arrived, and she quickly informed him that Hermione would be downstairs shortly. When he saw her come down the stairs with Ron, smiling and laughing, his stomach dropped. Determined not to let Ron swoop in and steal her away, he took a small step forward but stopped when she turned her gaze to him.

"Viktor," she said, the surprise evident in her voice. "I didn't think you'd be able to make it tonight."

"Vell, my plans haff…_changed_," he managed to choke out, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. He could see a mass of red hair out of the corner of his eye, and he knew they had quite the audience listening to their every word. "Could I talk to you alone, Hermione?" he asked hesitantly.

When she gave him a small smile, he felt his shoulders relax. _At least she wasn't too angry to talk with him. _"Why don't we go outside?" she suggested, slowly walking over to take Viktor's hand.

The warmth of her hand in his nearly made him forget what he was there for. He allowed Hermione to lead him through the door, completely ignoring all the Weasley stares that followed. She led him through a small garden in the back, and they finally sat down on a bench several yards away from the house. He nervously glanced over at her, but she was calmly staring at him with no expression on her face. "Viktor?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, loff," he responded, not able to tear his gaze away from her. She was absolutely enchanting, and he was starting to doubt the validity of his plan.

"You said you had something you wanted to talk about?"

The tone of her voice let him know she was more curious than upset at his lack of conversation so far. "Yes, I am sorry. I-I am not thinking…vell." He ran his hands through his hair again, wishing he had thought about what he was going to say. He sounded like a complete idiot right now, and he knew she thought so, too.

"Viktor, are you okay?" she asked concernedly as she placed her hand on his knee. She scooted a little closer to him, and he had to stifle a groan at how wonderful it felt to have her near. Even though he was nearly out of his mind with anxiety, she still managed to provoke a primal stirring within him. For the life of him, he couldn't remember one word he had planned to say. "I still love you, Viktor," she whispered as she leaned closer, "and I hope you still love me, too."

There were unshed tears shining in her eyes, and Viktor forgot all about words as he lowered his lips to hers.

Harry's POV

"They're kissing!" Ginny whispered, as she turned back from the kitchen door. "Wow…they are really going at it!"

"What are you lot going on about?" Mrs. Weasley questioned, as she bustled into the kitchen. Ginny, Harry, Fred, George, and Ron were all positioned by the door in an attempt to eavesdrop on the couple. When no one answered her questioned, she bellowed, "Well?"

"Mum!" Fred yelped, gesturing wildly towards the door. "They'll hear you!"

"Who?" she said as she peered out the window.

"Viktor and Hermione," Ginny said simply. Harry wisely decided not to speak at the moment, hoping he could avoid the wrath of the Weasley matriarch.

"Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley echoed, an indignant expression on her face. "You lot better not be eavesdropping on them. They deserve their privacy, and you should know better than to-"

"Viktor might propose, Mum," Ron said earnestly. Harry was glad to note that at least a _little_ color had returned to his face. When Ginny had first suggested the proposal as a possibility for Viktor's sudden appearance, Ron had looked like he might start heaving. Mrs. Weasley looked at them in shock as Ron continued, "Hermione's serious about him, she told me so a few minutes ago. Viktor told Harry he's in love with Hermione, so we're betting he's proposing right now."

Harry had never seen Mrs. Weasley so torn in her life. On the one hand, he knew she felt Hermione and Viktor needed to be alone, but on the other hand…Hermione was practically a daughter to her. He knew the idea that she might be getting engaged seemed to be too good for Mrs. Weasley to pass up. Throwing her hands in the air, she went to join Ginny by the window. The twins cheered silently, and Ron shot Harry a huge grin. _Crisis averted._

"How did this happen?" Mrs. Weasley questioned. "They've only been together a few weeks. Surely they couldn't already be getting engaged," she said doubtfully.

"Actually," Ginny spoke up, "Harry and I had a lot to do with it, didn't we?" Ginny smiled at him sweetly, but he still declined to speak. One could never be too cautious around Mrs. Weasley, especially when he was planning on proposing in a similar fashion to her youngest child…sometime. "We just gave them a little push in the right direction. Besides, they've known each other for years," she said matter-of-factly.

Mrs. Wealsey nearly clapped her hands in delight. "This means, of course, that we'll have to start planning yet another wedding, won't we, Ginny?"

"Of course, Mum," Ginny answered dutifully before muttering under her breath, "At least I'll like the bride this time."

"I heard that," Mrs. Weasley warned, a stern expression on her face.

"Won't Hermione's mum help her plan the wedding?" Fred asked, immediately receiving a painful jab in the ribs from George. "Let her have her delusions," he whispered under his breath, just low enough that his mum didn't catch it.

"Of course she will, Fred," Mrs. Weasley replied with a dreamy look on her face. "But Hermione's mum is a muggle, so she will help with the muggle ceremony. Which leaves," she paused, letting out a contented sigh, "_me _to plan the wizarding ceremony!"

Viktor's POV

He finally pulled back from the kiss, resting his forehead on hers. It would have been prudent to tell her he loved her first, but he couldn't help himself when he was around her. Actions were supposed to speak louder than words anyway, right? If that was the case, then she surely couldn't have any doubt as to what his answer would be. Regardless, as he slowly recovered from the kiss, he whispered, "I love you, too, Hermione."

Her lips were mere inches from him, and he thought about kissing her senseless again, but he held back. Kissing her was a lot easier than telling her what needed to be said, but he wasn't going to act like a coward anymore, no matter how much he wanted to. He gradually pulled back from her as he raised his hands to cup her face. "Hermione, there is something I need to tell you. It's very important, and I vant you to promise you vill let me finish before you speak."

She looked at him quizzically, but nodded slowly in reply. "I-I am sorry about this afternoon. I know you do not like Alexei, and I-I vas being…foolish," he said as he saw a small smile appear on her face. _So far, so good. _

His heart beat was picking up, however, and he was finding it more difficult to breathe than just a few moments ago. Still, in his heart, he knew it was right…being with Hermione was _right. _"I haff made many mistakes already, but I am hoping that you vill be able to forgive me." She looked like she wanted to respond, but he held up his hand. "Vhen you left this evening, I vas not myself, I vas…lost." He noticed her expression soften as he continued speaking. "To be honest, I haff been lost for almost seven years now."

Her eyes widened as he reached into his robe for the object his father had given him. His palms were so sweaty, he was sure he would have dropped it if the box hadn't been made of velvet. "I haff tried to loff another, but I cannot. You are the only voman for me, and I vill vait forever for you." His hands were shaking now, but he wouldn't stop. He had come this far, and he was going to follow through with it…as long as he didn't do something embarrassing…like faint.

Slowly lowering himself to one knee, he looked up at her face, her eyes wide in surprise and her mouth forming a lovely 'o'. "Hermione, you do not haff to say yes now, but I cannot vait any longer to tell you how I feel." He saw her hand fly to her mouth as she gasped, shaking her head slightly as if she couldn't believe what was happening. He slowly opened the blue velvet box containing his grandmother's pearl ring as he shakily asked, "Vill you do me the honor of someday becoming my vife?"

The relief that Viktor felt at getting the question out was, naturally, immediately offset by the enormous pressure it created while he waited for her answer. She sat stunned for several moments before finally lowering her hand from her mouth. Her coffee-colored eyes were full of tears, but Viktor had no clue what emotion they represented. _Were they tears of joy or perhaps sorrow? Did she feel the same way about him or was she trying to let him down easy? _

In reality, Hermione waited a mere three to four seconds to answer his question. In his mind, a virtual eternity passed before she whispered, "Yes," as tears threatened to spill over her cheeks. Viktor had no memory of the next few moments, but he must have moved quickly because he was suddenly spinning her around in his arms, pressing her against his chest as he covered his face in her silky brown hair. Words were pouring from his mouth in Bulgarian, telling her how much he loved her, how he couldn't live without her….he had no idea if she understood him or not, but at that moment, he felt like she at least understood what he was feeling.

He finally remembered he had yet to slip the ring on her finger, and he immediately placed her back on the bench to correct the error. He calmly slid the pearl ring on her left hand, pausing to admire how incredible it seemed that this dream of a woman was finally _his. _"Viktor?" Hermione asked hesitantly, instantly causing a sensation of fear to pulse through him.

"Yes, loff?" he asked, momentarily wondering if he she _had_, in fact, said yes or if he was deluding himself.

"I know you said you would wait, but I was hoping…" she paused for a moment, "well, I mean that I don't want to wait," she said with a shy smile.

"You don't?" he asked in disbelief. He had been prepared to give her at least another six months before he tried to convince her to set a date.

"If it's all the same to you, I would like to become Mrs. Hermione Krum as soon as I can." With that, she gently pressed her lips to his, and the earlier fear melted away. The last thought that crossed his mind before he allowed himself to get absorbed in the kiss was that her words were possibly the most beautiful words he had heard in his entire life.


	28. Epilogue

**Author's Note: I apologize this took me so long. I've had the chapter written a week, but the site wouldn't let me upload it. Anyway, here's the epilogue...possibility for a sequel, not sure yet. Thanks to all the reviewers!

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Hermione's POV**

The rest of the day at The Burrow had been even livelier than normal. Mrs. Weasley cried half the day, even though a giant smile was plastered on her face the whole time. Fred and George decided to initiate Viktor into the family by turning his hair pink, much to his chagrin. Ginny and Harry, of course, preceded to take nearly all the credit for bringing them together, which amused both her and Viktor.

She finally managed to extract herself from the death grip of the Weasleys and apparated back home with Viktor. She had every intention of immediately traveling to her parents' house to let them know of the engagement, but she and Viktor had ended up in bed instead after a chaste kiss went awry…not that she minded. They didn't stir from the bedroom until the next day when they both had to report to work. The look on the players' faces was absolutely priceless when they spotted her engagement ring. Naturally, all of them expressed their congratulations, even Sergei, although his was slightly stilted.

The next night, her parents and Viktor's both met at Viktor's house, where she and Viktor announced their engagement to all of them at once. His parents both had knowing smiles on their faces while her parents were utterly shocked at the announcement. Her mother had been aware of her relationship with Viktor, but she hadn't given her a whole lot of specifics. Nevertheless, the evening turned out quite well. Viktor's parents left first, of course, while her parents opted to stay a little longer.

She knew the reason her parents were staying was because they wanted to interrogate her and Viktor. Her parents trusted her judgment for the most part, but they were still a little worried about the sudden change in the status of their relationship. Her father had disappeared with Viktor for a few minutes while she spoke with her mother in the kitchen. Viktor never told her what her father asked, but both of their faces were flushed from embarrassment when they returned. Whatever he said, it must have worked because her parents gave them their blessing and immediately began planning the ceremony.

True to form, Mrs. Weasley insisted on helping out with the wizarding ceremony. Hermione and Viktor went through a small muggle ceremony for her parents just three weeks after the engagement was announced. Several of her relatives assumed she was being _forced _to get married because of an impending bundle of joy, but her parents thankfully quashed that rumor. Viktor didn't want to wait until after the season for the wizarding ceremony, but his mother and Mrs. Weasley practically insisted upon it. They claimed they simply didn't have sufficient time to plan it properly otherwise.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Krum got along fabulously. They wisely split the work, and Hermione was surprised at how quickly they constructed the entire ordeal. Since both of them were well-known, especially Viktor, the announcement of their engagement sparked a flurry of articles in various newspapers and tabloids. There were the same claims about her being pregnant, but they were sorely disappointed when she failed to 'start showing' after the requisite five or six months.

Thinking back to that day, Hermione still couldn't believe how handsome Viktor had looked in his dress robes. He had worn a tuxedo for the muggle ceremony, and she had thought at the time he couldn't look better, but he proved her wrong. The tuxedo was definitely flattering, but the dress robes were _him. _After all, he was a pureblood wizard, and an extremely attractive one at that, so a tuxedo was somewhat of a foreign garment for him. At Mrs. Weasley's insistence, she had gotten two wedding dresses, one for the muggle ceremony and one for the wizarding ceremony. She had hoped to just buy one, but her idea was immediately shot down when she mentioned it. Mrs. Weasley claimed it would be in bad taste to wear the same dress, using a tone of voice which invoked no argument.

Viktor, of course, insisted that money was no object, and that she should have the best of everything. His mother seemed to take that to heart, and Hermione quickly learned that their wedding was going to be anything but simple. In the end, it was the social event of the year, complete with numerous bodyguards chosen to protect the premises from potential wedding crashers. They had invited close to 500 people, and Mrs. Weasley still bemoaned the fact that the location couldn't hold more.

It had been the best day of her life, bar none. All of her friends and family were there, and her life, for the first time, finally felt complete. Harry, who was one of the groomsmen, had finally popped the question to Ginny, who served as Hermione's maid of honor…naturally, she accepted with an unprecedented enthusiasm. Arthur Weasley had given her away, and he didn't stop smiling the entire day. Alexei _did _show up to the wedding, but he practically ran away from her anytime she got within thirty feet of him (she assumed it was Viktor's doing, of course). Not to mention Viktor's team had won the IQL title for the second year in a row. It seemed there was an endless supply of things to celebrate…

Now, standing in her kitchen, Hermione was afraid it was starting to unravel. She and Viktor had been married ten months, and they had simply been _delightful. _They had grown even closer during that time, and she felt incredibly lucky to be Mrs. Viktor Krum. They still had the occasional row, but making up was always worth it. Hermione felt her cheeks burn a little as she realized that one of those make up sessions was the reason she was in the predicament she was in now.

Placing the batter on the counter, she took out a cookie sheet from one of the cupboards. Viktor had tried again and again to convince her to let the house elves take care of cooking, but she enjoyed baking too much to give it up entirely. Of course, she let the house elves prepare the majority of the meals, but the baked goods _she_ handled. Running her hand over her stomach, she sighed as she took another batch of cookies from the oven. She was hoping the cookies would make a decent peace offering…_she was definitely going to need one. _

Viktor's POV

He apparated in his living room, and he had to resist the urge to just fling himself on the couch. Today had been yet another exhausting day, and he had barely managed to make it through without collapsing. The past week had been jam-packed with interviews, autograph signings, and photography sessions. It was the week after the off-season draft, which meant that the Vrasta team had a fresh new look for the upcoming season. Along with that came all the things Viktor hated about playing international Quidditch.

It amazed him that he could fly for hours on end without being exhausted, but if he spent more than an hour with a photographer, he could barely keep his eyes open. He dropped his things on the couch, and made his way slowly to the kitchen. Judging by the delicious smells wafting from the room, his wife of almost a year was baking again. He had been worried at first that she felt obligated to cook for him, but he soon realized she _enjoyed _it. More than once, he had found her in the kitchen after they had had a fight.

Not that they had too many fights these days. He had managed to control his temper and his jealousy…for the most part. He knew he was still a little possessive when it came to Hermione, but he was making a little progress. She lost patience with him every now and then, but she always forgave him. He smiled as he thought about the last fight they had…it was two weeks ago, and he could still remember how much fun it had been 'making up' with her.

He walked into the kitchen, expecting to see a harried Hermione bustling about the kitchen like he had seen the Weasley woman do. Instead, Hermione was quietly standing near the counter, placing what looked like his favorite kind of cookie on a plate to cool. She was softly humming under her breath, and he didn't think she could have looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.

He suddenly remembered the daydream he had had when he first saw Hermione's flat. He had imagined her baking cookies, waiting for him to come home from Quidditch practice. It suddenly hit him that he was, in fact, living out that fantasy in just under a year. Seeing the love of his life standing in _their_ kitchen…it was _breathtaking. _He watched her silently for a few more minutes before slowly walking towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Surprisingly, she flinched a little when his arms snaked around her waist, but she smiled as she turned to face him. "Hello, Mr. Krum. Have fun with all the interviews today?" she said in a teasing tone. She knew just how much he hated all the peripheral aspects of playing Quidditch for a living.

"It vas…typical," he said, thankful he had the next two days off.

"Why were you standing over there so long? The cookies don't smell that bad, do they?" she asked, a look of concern flashing across her face.

He smiled as he shook his head. "Cookies are vonderful. I vas just thinking about how I used to dream finding you in our kitchen, baking cookies for me vhen I returned from riding broom," he said as he placed a gentle kiss on her temple. He wanted to do a lot more, but she always scolded him if he interrupted her when she was baking. "You looked so beautiful, I did not vant to disturb you."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Hermione said, biting her lower lip. He nearly frowned before he caught himself. Something wasn't right…he wasn't sure what, but she seemed _nervous. _

Tipping her head up to meet his eyes, he said in a soft voice, "Vhat is vrong, loff?"

"Well, Viktor," she began, letting her eyes drift downward, "when you were dreaming about me baking cookies in the kitchen, exactly how many people were in the kitchen?"

Viktor looked at her quizzically. "There vas just you and me, Hermione." He glanced around, checking to see if someone was hiding. "Is there someone else in kitchen?"

She bit her lip again before answering, "Well, in a way, yes." As she spoke, she moved his left hand to rest on her stomach. "Or, at least, there will be in about seven months."

He stared at her confusedly, not registering what she was saying. He glanced down at his hand, finally realizing what had happened. "You are…vith child?" he asked, hesitantly, not wanting to get his hopes up.

Hermione didn't speak, she just nodded her head slowly, looking like she was afraid of his reaction. He immediately let out a whoop of joy, lifting her off her feet in a crushing embrace. _She was pregnant! He was going to be a father! _The idea of being a father was terrifying, but incredibly exciting at the same time. He had always wanted a family, and now he would have one with the most amazing woman in the world.

He finally managed to set her down a few moments later when he realized she was having trouble breathing. "Y-you aren't m-mad at me?" she asked in a small voice.

"No!" Viktor said vehemently. "Vhy vould I be mad? You haff given me best gift possible," he said as he led her to the table to sit down. "A year ago, I haff nothing, now I haff family of my own."

"Oh, Viktor!" she cried, moving over to place herself in his lap. "I was so afraid you would be upset. I know you wanted to wait a few years before we had children, and I didn't want-"

"I did not vant to vait," Viktor interrupted, sending her an apologetic smile. "I am fine vith haffing a child now. I thought _you_ vanted to vait."

"Me?" Hermione questioned, before letting out a little laugh. "I am okay with having children now, I just thought you weren't." She sent him a sheepish smile before continuing, "So I guess we're happy about this then."

"Absolutely!" Viktor exclaimed, placing a tender but firm kiss on her mouth. "I think maybe our parents vill be even happier than ve are," he said, chuckling against her lips. He knew for a fact that her mother and father were anxious for grandchildren, especially since Hermione was an only child. "Ve vill tell them tomorrow," he said, wanting to have her all to himself for the evening.

"They'll be delighted, I'm sure," she agreed, laughing. "I'm just so relieved that you aren't upset. I've been nervous all day, wondering what you would say or do," she confessed.

Cupping her face in his hands, he said, "I could not be happier, loff," he said as he leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers. "Vhy don't we go upstairs and I vill show you how happy I am?" he asked, giving her a suggestive wink.

Her face broke out into a smile at his suggestion. "What about the cookies, Viktor?"

Viktor glanced back at the cookies still sitting on the platter. "I think ve can find a use for them. Cookies will come vith us," he said as he gave her bum a small pinch.

She squealed in response, and quickly moved from his lap to the door. As he headed upstairs, chasing his lovely wife to their bedroom, he realized that everything he had ever wanted in life was finally his.


End file.
